Beloved sibling
by Lily272
Summary: Yugi's little pet fox Fenny shows up, but his grandfather is now where to be found. Yugi gets worried but Atemu can't leave the palaceand sends Seto and Joey out to help Yugi find him. Sequel to Beloved Slave
1. Memories and fire

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing apart from partly owning the twin oc's in the story.

**Summery:** Sequel to beloved slave. Yugi's little pet fox Fenny shows up but the old man is now where to be found. Yugi gets worried and wants to find out what happened to his grandfather but Atemu can't leave the palace at the moment. He sends Seto and Joey out to help Yugi find his beloved Grandfather. Will Seto and Joey find out what happened to The old man? And what is going on with the twins that Joey predicted? Why is the girl constantly endangering the life of her own brother? Will The couple be able to save them all or will Seto's overprotective nature and fear of loosing the one he loved after nearly loosing him multiple times in the past e too much for Joey to handle?

**Warning:** The story has a very sad end because Joey is going to die. But no worries, it still has a happy puppy ending.

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><p><strong>Beloved sibling<strong>

**Memories and fire.**

_**Joey's POV**_

It's still as beautiful as I remember it, my old sanctuary and hide out from my father. This is the place where my first life ended and my second one started. My first life where I walked through darkness until it ended and my second one, that seemed even more strange and difficult then my first one, began. A life where I feared the darkness as well as the light, which I didn't trust at the beginning but started to love and cherish more then anything.

I watch the sun go down and wait for Seto. He's still at the pyramid doing the monthly inspection. I used to fear those since my father, who like me was working here as a slave, was always in a really bad mood after those inspections and I was always the one to feel his anger on my own body. It was such a night about 5 years back when I stood here and ended that life. Like now the Nile was at its peak and the current below this cliff was dangerous, and no one dared to swim in it at such a time. Back on that day I watched the sun die on the western horizon just like I do now. Soon the sun god Ra will battle in the underworld to reach the eastern horizon so he can be reborn there with a beautiful sunrise.

I smile at the thought of all that has happened and can't regret the choice I made five years ago. I look up and see the first star on the darkening sky, one little brave star that prepares itself to light the dark. I remember the prayer I made back then and silently thank all the gods I know that they have granted me so much more than I dared to ask for back then. I had asked for a little light as small as this star. I have that light now, my little sister Serenity who is married and has two wonderful children that can be troublesome at times but I still love them too. But I have so much more. I look at the sun that touches the horizon already and the red sky colored by Ra's flames. I touch the cartouche that I still wear at all times, a black and red one that in its color resembles my shadow monster; a mighty dragon that I can change at will by now as long as I have the cartouche of Anubis with me.

I look at the sun and thank Anubis especially for sending me a light like my Seto. I sing a hymn for Anubis to thank him for everything he has done, and smile since it's the same hymn I sang the last time I stood up here; the day I met Seto. While I sing I feel two arms move around my waist and know that they are Seto's. No one else would ever dare to touch me like this, but not because I'm so unreasonable that I would hurt them. Seto's the unreasonable one that is absolutely overprotective and hardly leaves me out of his sight ever since my father tried to attack and kill me when Seto thought I was in safe company, especially since my mother, who also once tried to kill me, was already dead at the time. My father isn't alive anymore either but Seto is still overprotective and if he leaves me out of his sight then, it's only with at least 10 guards. Like I can't defend myself. I understand perfectly well that he is only worried for mywell being after everything that happened, but it still annoys me greatly.

He waits for me to finish the hymn before he says, "You know that it's pointless to jump since I'm just going to pull you out again right?"

I smile and notice the joking tone he has. He knows that I wouldn't try anything like that again, not with what I have now. "In that case I won't mind jumping. I like seeing you all wet."

I hear him chuckle a little and lean closer against his strong chest. I turn my head a little to have my ear against it and listen to his heartbeat. It always calmed me even at the very start where I was as scared as a shy little fox, which might be the reason he still sometimes calls me his little fox. He also sometimes calls me puppy, but one angry look and he stops again. He knows that it reminds me too much of all the times I've been called a street dog by my father.

I still hold my cartouche and while thinking of father and mother I pray for their souls and that they're safe and happy. I know that I'm the only one praying for them both because even though I forgave them for what they did to me, no one else seems to be capable of doing so too.

Maybe Serenity prays for mother every now and then but she never talks about her to me, afraid to hurt my feelings I assume since mother hated me. Mother told me to never dare and follow her and Serenity when she left me with father during my eighth summer in this world, and she did put that threat into reality soon after I came to the palace where they lived. She tried to stab me with a little knife and if Seto hadn't returned from an inspection at the very last moment, she would have succeeded in killing me. Ever since that day Seto has loathed her, even now that she is dead. I can only imagine how much it must have scared him. Luckily I never had to see him that badly wounded.

But unlike for mother, my sister will never pray for our father, who unlike mother had shown her as little love and affection as me. She didn't grow up with him since mother took her away when she was six years old, but she saw the bruises on our mother and on me back then. She usually slept through the beatings, and I'm still happy that she never felt his strength on her body, but she saw what he had done to me when I arrived at the palace. Bruised, scared and wishing for death… Broken not only in body but also in mind.

"It's getting late," Seto whisperers into my ear. "How about we ride back, I quickly give our dear pharaoh the report he's awaiting, and then we go to bed?"

I turn in his arm and look into his blue eyes. "Let's go," I whisper and try to sound as seductive as he can. I take his hand and we walk to our horses to ride back to the city; I hardly can wait to be alone with my husband. We married half a year ago even though we were engaged much longer. But first there had to be Mokuba's and Serenity's wedding to ensure that their son could become the next pharaoh of Egypt. Then there was the pharaoh's wedding to Yugi, his former bed slave whom he loved dearly. This wedding was the reason that pharaoh Atem's cousin's child will be the next pharaoh and since Seto is as much in love with a man, namely me, as the pharaoh is, Mokuba's son will be the lucky one...or unlucky one depending on the point of view. After all he's going to have it all. Power, wealth, fame…and lots and lots of work and false friends.

But that wasn't the only reason why Seto and I waited so long to actually get married. The real reasons is that we had a minor disagreement with the wedding arrangements. He wanted a wedding that would outshine the pharaoh's since two high priests were getting married to one another and that was a first, but I rather wanted a wedding that could be outshined by Serenity's rushed and small family wedding. I don't like being the center of attention. I'm still not used to all the mind games at court and all the political games. Without Seto I would run as fast as I can from my responsibilities as a high priest.

Suddenly I stop riding, since I can't see a thing going on around me. The necklace chooses the worst possible timing to show me a vision like always. I see my little niece and my little nephew in the chamber the twins share. I see her take a candle and move it over to her brother's bed with fear. She's putting it down on her brother's bed with a strange evil looking smile like she actually understands the danger she puts him in and then she steps back, watching his bed catch fire. She watches it, not screaming for help or anything, just watches the fire until I hear him scream when the fire gets too close.

The vision stops and I start to ride faster then ever before. Seto is on my heals and asks, "What is going to happen?" He already caught on that a vision must have scared me and urged me to ride faster.

"Our dear nice is playing with fire again!" I say in fear. "I swear if I didn't know better I'd say she's actually trying to kill him."

"She's four; she can't know how dangerous it is," Seto says, but I see that he is starting to doubt his own words. We both told her so often how dangerous flames are and she still plays with them over and over and always it's her brother's life that's endangered. Her shy little brother that hardly ever speaks while she never shuts up, unless of course they're holding each others hands and talk together perfectly like they sometimes do.

Those moments where they are like one still occur but they're getting less often. Maybe they're growing out of it and separate their personalities more, but at times I see them like in the vision I once had on the day I became a high priest. Sometimes I see them take each other's hands and talk in perfect unison, being perfectly like two halves of a whole. It does worry me though that the switch is always so sudden and that sometimes they seem confused a little. They never say that they are and no one else seems to notice it, or at least they don't talk about it anymore then I do.

I see the city ahead and ride faster now after Seto, who is a faster rider then me and riding ahead since he knows that he needs to keep her away from fire. I just hope we're in time. The sun was gone and we took most of the night to reach the city. I don't see a fire in the palace and hope that it hadn't simply already happened and been put out by someone yet. The fire was so big in and around the bed in the corner of the room that I doubt that my dear nephew could have gotten away from the fire without harming himself; even if the nurse maid looked into the room right away. Seto already runs towards the palace and disappears inside when I reach the stables. By the time I enter the bedroom I see that the bed had already caught fire when Seto entered. He has the confused boy in his arms and chides the girl while I take a vase and pour the water over the fire before taking the boy from my husband's arms.

Serenity walks in, obviously hearing her daughter is getting scolded by Seto, checking what happened.

My niece just sits on the bed and looks upset at me. I wonder why she seems to be so angry with me but she's disliked me since she was born. The boy, on the other hand, adores me and doesn't let go even when Serenity tries to take him.

"It's okay sis," I whisper to her. "Help Seto with your daughter and try to keep fire away from her."

She nods and isn't upset that the child is rather with me right now. He loves her just as much at least but never bonded quite as well with his father, who sometimes seems to be jealous that his son likes me more then him. His daughter likes him though, but that isn't surprising since she has him do whatever she wants. He simply can't say no to her adorable, begging look.

"I'm sorry." I hear the boy whisper.

"What are you sorry for?" I whisper back. I used to say that it wasn't his fault when he said sorry after his sister played with fire around him, but he always said that he wasn't sorry for that. I never found out what he was sorry for.

"You won't believe me," he says like always when I try to find out what he apologizes for. "But I love you Joey."

"I love you too." I whisper back. "Both of you."

"You won't when I tell," he says for the first time in his life. I wonder what he could be sorry for that makes him fear that I won't love him anymore.

"I will always love you," I whisper. "Nothing you could ever do will make me stop loving you."

He isn't answering, just crying a little, and I hold him closer, patting his back and make soothing sounds to calm the upset child. He must be confused about suddenly being pulled out of his bed and then seeing the fire in it followed by Seto shouting at his sister.

"I promise to always love you no matter what." And I feel his little arms around my neck and look at his sister, who still looks at me like she would just love to play with fire around me.

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><p><strong>Authors note:<strong> Thanks to Twilight684 for beta reading my story and fixing my spelling mistakes.


	2. Fenny

**Fenny.**

_**Yugi's POV**_

I walk the market together with my best friend Joey; I've loved the market ever since I was a kid. It's so colorful and there are so many things one can buy, and I want to buy some nice jewels again; I love jewels with rubies the most. The only thing about the market I don't like is that there are slave traders because I'm still terrified of them. Ever since some caught me in the dessert and brought me here to be sold, I've been terrified by them.

Joey's a little upset today because prince Aknamkanon, who is obviously named after pharaoh Atemu's father, said that he fears that Joey won't love him if he admits something he feels sorry for. I'm not sure what this might be about but I do know that it is silly to fear that. Joey simply can't stop loving someone. He even still loves his father, I know since he once told me that, though I really don't get why. His father abused him physically, emotionally and sexually. Joey literally jumped of a cliff because of him but he still loves him as much as he loves his mother, who tried to stab him! I saw him that night lying in his own blood and for a moment thought he must be dead and that Seto simply couldn't accept it. I still remember running to Atemu crying the words, "Someone killed him! Someone killed my only friend!"

I remember how Atemu calmed me and went back there with me. Once he questioned a guard on the way he calmed me, telling me that he wasn't dead yet and that he would make sure to get him the best healer if Seto hadn't already done that. Once there I heard Seto and Atemu talk and found out that Seto suspected Joey's mother, but I didn't think that possible. What mother could do something like that? Apparently his mother could.

She had also taken all of his lovely jewels that he had at the time; his cartouche and his Isis ring. But what was the worst for Joey was that the white dragon upper arm bracelet was gone too, the bracelet that resembled Seto's dragon and made Joey feel like he was always present.

If Joey is capable of still loving those parents, he will love Aknamkanon no matter what the kid did. After all how bad can it be? He is four for crying out loud! He couldn't have beaten Joey or tried to kill him like his father had done in the end too, just his father had used a huge shadow monster that is now sealed away in Joey's temple. Seto intended to destroy it, probably to take further revenge on Joey's father, but Joey insisted on keeping it. Since he's never used it I guess he simply wanted to keep it safe for his father's sake. It would be so like Joey to forgive his father and still keep that little bit of his memory safe.

I watch Joey closely and see that he doesn't show any interest in jewels or anything else. It is sort of normal apart from the fact that today he doesn't even look at the food that is on sale here. "Are you hungry?" I ask to get a reaction out of him.

"Not really, but thanks," he answers, much to my surprise.

Joey is always hungry; he wasn't at the start but the more he got used to the life in the palace and the great food here, the more he started to eat. Serenity once told me that he was a bottomless pit when they were kids, before their mother separated them. It seemed like he was back to that stage now, but today he must be too worried.

"Cheer up Joey," I say with a smile. "I bet you'll find out what Aknamkanon meant soon, and really how bad can it be? He _is_ four."

"I'm not only worried about him," I hear Joey say and see the worried look on his face increase further.

"What else is it?" I watch him look to the floor deep in thought, but he isn't answering. "Joey, tell me. I don't like seeing you so worried; I'd rather see you smile."

I probably should talk to Atemu, he'd make Joey talk, but I'm not sure if Joey will be angry with me if I do. I know he won't stay mad, like I said he simply can't stop loving people, and I know that he likes me just as much as I like him. I see him smile at me now.

"Chill, Yugi. I'm fine and I'm probably worrying over nothing. I mean you're right, they're only four; what can they do?"

I hear him say that and see him smile, but the smile isn't reaching his eyes. He still worries about something he isn't sharing. That must be some sort of family trait, after all Serenity didn't tell anyone when she was pregnant until Atemu made her tell. She refused to tell because she was worried that Mokuba wouldn't like it, Aknamkanon won't tell what he's sorry for because he fears that Joey won't love him anymore, and Joey won't tell me why he's worried probably because he doesn't want me to worry too. "We're friends aren't we?" I ask him.

"Sure we are," Joey said "You know that don't you?"

I can't believe he fell for that one. "Sure, but if you're my friend you should trust me and let me help you. So tell me what you're worried about."

"I would," Joey says. "But to be honest I'm not really sure what it is I'm worried about. I feel like I'm missing something, like something is wrong with Mana rather than Aknamkanon."

Mana, Aknamkanon's sister, is named after an old friend of Atemu. She was like a sister but left the palace for a long journey before I came to the palace. I heard him talk about her very often though, and feel like I know her and miss her nearly as much as my husband does. Oh I love calling him my husband. I feared for so long that I would never hear him say 'I love you', and then when he does he is asking me to marry him as well! I could still squeal with happiness when I just think of that.

"Well whatever it is," I say hoping to calm my only real friend, "it can't be that bad."

"I hope you're right, Yugi," he says and smiles at me. We keep walking for a little, but he still seems worried and upset. I hope he'll calm again soon and that whatever worries him isn't really as bad as it seems to him right now.

Suddenly, I feel something lick at my leg and look down. "Fenny!" I scream after seeing the little fennec fox I raised, and that was my best friend when I was a kid, so I would always recognize her. She's a bit darker around the nose than the rest of her is, and the tip of her tail is unusually light; she is simply unique. "What are you doing here?" I pick her up and cuddle her before looking around. Gramps must be somewhere since Fenny has been living with him ever since I was captured by those mean slave traders. "Joey, can you see Gramps?" I ask since I can't find him anywhere. But the place is crowded, so maybe I'm just overlooking him since I'm still shorter then most people.

"No. I don't." I see Joey look around just like I do but there is nothing. "Maybe he's at the palace and Fenny followed your trail on her own," Joey says and I hope he's right.

He met gramps at my wedding and Gramps and Fenny are visiting about once a year. The last time was only two months ago and I really worry that she came back alone because something is wrong with Gramps. She is cuddling against me more then usual, not running around me like she always does, and she is shivering a little.

"Let's go back," I say "She looks scared to me."

"Now you're the one that is probably worrying for nothing," Joey teases me, but I see that he too is eyeing Fenny strangely and is probably just trying to calm me.

We both walk back to the palace, not looking at the goods on the market or anything else on our way back through the city, while Fenny is on my arm the whole time. Once at the gates Joey asks a guard, "Did the grandfather of his highness, Yugi, arrive today?"

I'm still amazed at how commanding Joey can sound considering what he's been through. He might be the strongest person I know, next to my pharaoh of course. The way Joey holds himself strong and proud shows nothing of the life he had as a child and teenager, or the hardships he had even after he arrived here at the palace back then as a bed slave just like I was. The only proof of those hardships were the scares that were still visible but made him look even more fierce, and I'm glad that he is such a great friend or I'd be scared stiff of him.

"No sir," the guard says, and I feel even more worried.

"Joey, what if something happened to Gramps?" I ask and look up at my friend.

"Then we'll find out and do whatever we can to save him," Joey says, completely calm, with a smile. "Don't worry, the old guy is sturdy. Nothing is going to get him down this easily and we'll get him out of whatever pinch he might be in. And maybe Fenny just missed you or lost him somewhere in the dessert."

I nod but feel little hope. Fenny is here; if she can find the way through the dessert to come to me she could find gramps too. Granted gramps is never in any place for long, unlike me now, but she didn't find me here in the palace; she found me at the market.

I follow Joey inside and we both walk towards the throne room where Seto and Atemu are discussing something with a few others that I don't really know. I saw them before but I never talk about political things, I gladly leave those to Atemu. Seto is always with Atemu, even when the other sacred guardians aren't, and Atemu wants one of them to be with me whenever I leave the palace. Ever since Joey's father attacked us at the market he is edgy when I'm outside and always wants someone with shadow monsters with me, preferably Joey or Seto since they are the two strongest of the sacred guardians; only my husband is more powerful then those two. I smile at him as soon as I see him but run towards him with Fenny on my arm and say, "Atemu, I think something is wrong with gramps! I need to find him!"

"You need to what?" he asks, and I can see that he really doesn't like that. It would mean that I won't only leave the palace, but the city as well. I haven't left the city since I first met him. I never really wanted to since I love him more then anything else, even more then the desert, but I need to help Gramps and no one within these walls can find him apart from me.

"I need to leave and find Gramps. Fenny came here alone and gramps is nowhere to be found," I say and look at him worriedly. "If I don't go, who can? I'm the only one here that knows the desert and my old tribe enough to find them. No one else can do this and I can't just stay and wait; he needs me!"

"It is dangerous, Yugi," Atemu says, and I see the fear in his eyes. "Can't it wait a little at least? In two months I could come with you. I'd feel much better if I can be around."

"What if it is too late? Please, Atemu, I'm begging you… I need to save him." I know begging always gets through to him. He can't say no when I beg and pout a little, and I can see in his eyes that he's getting weak. I love it that I can make him do what I want. I love it since it is proof of his love for me, and I would do the same if I could; I love him just as much. "You can send Joey with me; he'll keep me safe."

I see from the corner of my eyes that Joey doesn't seem to like it, and I wonder why since he said we would save Gramps if necessary. "Fine, but only with Joey _and_ Seto with you," Atemu says, and I can see that Seto is relived; he looked terrified at Joey when he heard that he would go with me and probably without him. He hates leaving Joey out of his sight just as much as Atemu hates to leave me out of his, but Seto has to let Joey go when Atemu orders him to stay with me while he has to stay with Atemu. I don't really see why he's this worried. Joey is stronger than me and can keep himself safe, and he has proven that before. I also don't like that he is coming too; even in my new position as the Pharaoh's husband I'm a little afraid of him.

"Your highness," Joey says, and I don't like the tone. He is never this formal with Atemu. He is the only one who dares to talk back even more than Seto, and is only like this when he wants something real bad. "May we take the twins with us?"

"Why?" Atemu asks, and I too wonder about the reasons behind this request. "Wouldn't it be safer to have them here in the palace?"

"I'm not sure," Joey says. "It is complicated and hard to explain, but I saw them in visions and what I saw was sometimes really disturbing in a way that I never dared to say. I might be wrong, but I think something will happen if I'm gone for too long."

"Try to explain," Atemu orders.

"You tell me," Joey says. "Who does Mana hate, who isn't around anymore when she plays with fire, and who is the one who always very nearly gets hurt?"

"What are you trying to say?" Atemu asks, and I too start to wonder. Is he suggesting that Mana wants to hurt her brother? She is four but now that he says it, Joey only was in the palace the very first time she nearly burned her brother by accident. Ever since he hardly made it back in time to save Aknamkanon, who always very nearly got hurt; most of the time by fire, but once he was pushed into the pond in the gardens and nearly drowned. Mana also hates Joey, who is the only reason that Aknamkanon is still alive.

"I'm not sure what I'm saying, apart form that Mana looks thrilled when watching the fire reach her brother in my visions." He says and I feel my jaw drop, everyone else most likely doing the same as well.

"Maybe she just likes to watch the flames but I fear that she won't stop, and if she plays with fire around her brother again while I'm somewhere in the middle of the desert a few days ride away I'll never make it in time to safe the boy. Also I worry about Aknamkanon, who keeps something that he thinks is really bad a secret and until I know what it is I don't really want to be too far away from him. I understand your need to have me and Seto with Yugi; I don't like the thought of my best friend in the desert without me and Seto around either, but I also fear for the twins. And I think that a bit of seeing the country on a little journey might not be to their disadvantage either. Yugi could show them the desert as only nomads know it, and I really think that this is a wonderful opportunity for the future Pharaoh."

I see the more or less shocked faces of Atemu and Seto and know I look the same. Could a four year old like Mana truly want to hurt her brother?

"Can't we find out? I mean the millennium key allows us to see in someone's Soul room and find out what they think, doesn't it?" I ask, hoping that I can stop Joey from worrying about Mana and Aknamkanon.

"No, Shadi isn't around," Atemu says and sounds like he doesn't like to say it anymore than I like to hear it. "I sent him on a mission and he won't be back for a month. I didn't think we would need him now."

We look at each other until I say, "I have to go and save Gramps." I look at Atemu as begging as I can. I worry about the twins, but I also worry about Gramps.

"We can keep them all safe," Seto suddenly says. "And Joey is right. A little trip can be beneficial for the twins."

"Fine," Atemu says. "When can you be ready to leave?"

"Tomorrow morning," Seto answers, and I'm sort of disappointed. On the bright side, it does give me one night alone with my husband, how I love to call him this, but it also means I have to wait til I can look for Gramps for a whole night."

"Don't worry, Yugi," Joey says with a smile, and he seems relieved that he finally spoke about his worries and isn't the only one to look out for Aknamkanon's safety. "We'll find your Gramps and we will save him."

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><p>Authors note: Thanks to redconvoy and Leviathan of the Sea for the review.<p> 


	3. Safe

**Safe.**

_**Joey's POV**_

"Seto, please say something." I can't stand this a second longer. Since I spoke about my worries today he hasn't said a word to me. He only said that it might not be bad to take the twins and that they'll be safe and be ready tomorrow morning, but that was to Atemu and he hasn't been saying anything else since that time.

"You really think she would hurt Aknamkanon on purpose?" he asks, and I know that he is upset. Maybe he disagrees with that assumption and possibly likes her more then I thought. She is his niece after all.

"Seto... I love her too," I say and try to cuddle against him, but he isn't holding me like he usually does. His arms are fixed in place and tight like he is trying very hard to control himself. "And I didn't say that she isn't a good girl or that she is evil. I just think that something could be wrong with her. Seto you have to admit that it's strange how often she endangers Aknamkanon by accident."

"But that's what those are," he says still sounding slightly hopeful, but I'm sure he is doubting his own words. "They're accidents and nothing else."

"But what if something else is trying to control her like you can with the millennium staff?" I'm not sure if that is the case but it would explain the different way of behaving, from endangering his life to holding Aknamkanon's hand, but the fact that both change when not holding each others hands doesn't seem to fit with that theory since both would need to be controlled when they change; just Aknamkanon gets more shy while Mana gets wilder. "And I'm not even saying that it's just her. You said yourself that they're strange sometimes like they change suddenly. Aknamkanon too, and I worry that when that happens something makes her try to hurt him. I just don't know what it is." I still don't feel his arms around me and wonder what I need to do to stop him from being angry with me.

"We need to pack and then we should rest," he simply says and starts packing. He is still mad with me. All I can do is hope that he'll forgive me once I find out what's wrong and can help Mana and Aknamkanon.

I pack my stuff and watch him get ready for bed. I walk outside and watch the sun disappear at the horizon. I lift my hand with the ring of Isis and hold my other hand around it while I pray to her. _'Dear Isis,__perfect mother,__I beg you to help me save my sister's children and heal them from whatever it is that makes them act the way they do. I beg of you.__I love my family and I want to protect them. Give me the strength I need to save them.'_ Next I touch my cartouche and pray, _'Anubis,__guide my way to find the answers need. Let me find the source for Mana's unusual acts. Also guide us all safely through the desert and let us find Yugi's Gramps,__and keep his path straight and safe. Do not guide him to the underworld before Yugi can see him. He needs to at least say goodbye,__even though I hope to save him. But most of all, don't let me lose my sun. Let me find a way to make Seto understand and forgive me.'_

I stay outside for awhile and watch the sky turn darker while one star after the other appears. The moon is full tonight and the night is not very dark, but it will get darker every night now that we'll be travelling. I just hope it won't be a bad sign. I don't want to walk back into the dark… I still know the feelings I had when living in total darkness with my father, and when I was hiding in shadows while Seto tried to bring some light back into my life. A light that I didn't dare to trust back at that time, and due to that I used to fear the light even more than the darkness.

I feel one arm around me and hope that it is a sign.

"Come to bed Joey," I hear him say and his voice is less strained than before.

"Are you still mad?" I ask. I need to know if he'll forgive me before we leave, for I fear to lose him more then anything else.

"I never truly was."

Yeah right like I believe that one.

"I'm worried, that's all."

"You were mad," I say but turn around and cuddle against him again "And I know that you still are, but I really don't mean anything bad for Mana. It's just the way she looks in my visions when Aknamkanon is in danger. I don't think that the way they are when holding each other's hands it could really be the same girl. I worry about her Seto, but I don't think that it's safe to have them away from me."

"I'm sorry I made you feel like I was mad at you." He holds me closer again. "I'm worried, that is all, and I know that you might be right. I just worry if that will put you in danger as well."

"Me?" I look up into his eyes and truly can see worry there. "Why would it put me in danger?"

He smiles a little, "I don't know, but I was close to losing you a grand total of three times. Let's not try for four and be careful okay? Don't be alone with Mana too often."

I stare at him, "Is that why you're so upset? Because I want to keep Mana close?" I can't believe this! She **is** his niece too. "She needs us as much as Aknamkanon does. If she hurts him she'll be upset too, at least at those times where she would hold his hand. We can't let that happen and that is more important then anything else."

"No it isn't."

I stare at him, unable to believe my own ears. I know that he is overprotective and worries about me way too much, but he can't be worried about me because of a four year old and put my safety over theirs!

"You are more important to me then anyone else, and I hate to see you endanger yourself to protect others. You always put everything else over yourself and I don't want to see you dying again. When I pulled you out of the Nile you didn't breathe, Joey. Do you even know how close you were to death that day? And then when I found you lying in your own blood after the attack from you mother… I thought I already lost you for a moment and yet you **still** love her! You love your father even though he wanted to kill you, Joey, and you just stick around to make sure he won't hurt your sister. I don't get it. I don't get how you can just walk out now and risk your life."

I feel him let go of me again and turn around. His arms shiver at his sides like they always do when he thinks of how easy my parents got away, at least in his opinion. I know that he longs to truly punish them, and that he still has nightmares about losing me at times, and I sort of understand; I couldn't bare losing him either. I depend on him more than I want to admit.

"My parents are dead," I say as calm as I can. I don't want to show him that it still saddens me that I'll never be able to make up with them, that I can never make them love me. They didn't have it easy either; they were both born as slaves and never got out of that life.

Father hated the hard work on the pyramid and couldn't deal with it, and that was the only reason that he treated me the way he did. I don't think that he was a bad man in general even though I know that Seto disagrees with me, like most others do as well. And mother was hurt by father, and with my attempts to help her I only made it worse, and I look like father which had to make it even harder for her to show me any sympathy. She must have been terrified when she saw me in the palace after all those years of running from her past and her memories, but all of this isn't the fault of the twins.

"And Mana and Aknamkanon are four year old children. Honestly what kind of danger can they be?"

"I don't know, but I see your worry when you look at her and I see her hate for you. I like her too, she is my nice after all, but still I can't bare to see her look at you like that. I won't let her hurt you. I won't let anyone hurt you ever again."

"Seto," I say and try to calm him with a smile. "Are you worried about two four year olds hurting ME? I mean honestly think about it. I'm not a child anymore and I'm a high priest; a sacred guardian of pharaoh Atemu and I have a lot of strong shadow monsters at my disposal, including two mighty dragons…"I can't finish that sentence since he interrupts me.

"The second doesn't count since you refuse to use it. I don't get why you had to save that bloody plate if you don't even use the dammed monster."

"Would you?" I ask him. "If you had another that is like your dragon, would you use it? Mine is as strong and, unlike father's, I can make mine even stronger."

"I still don't like you having that shadow monster, and I like it even less that you once more put someone else's life over yours." He looks down to the ground, his arms tightly under control at his sides again.

I take one of his hands and pull him to the bed and push him on it just to crawl on top of him, straddling him under me. "You really think I need to put my life over hers?" I ask him and start to nibble on his neck. "Do I look that weak to you, because I really will have to prove my strength to you then." I like to hear him moan a little and feel him relax a bit under me. I'm so happy that he isn't going to leave me, and that he isn't mad at me because I said something against Mana. He simply is worrying about me because he still loves me, and I thank Anubis that he showed me the way to see this. I'm sure Anubis helped me again, like always.

I feel Seto throw me over and giggle. I already know his next words, and of course I'm proven right when he says, "I'm still stronger."

"Maybe I'm just smarter and let you win." I smile up at him and see him think about that possibility for just a second.

"I don't think so," he says to me grinning back. "But you can always try to prove me wrong."

I let him kiss me for a long time and wait for the right moment. I know that he is stronger than me, but not by much, and when I can surprise him I can throw him over; I'm sure of it.

I wait until we're both undressed and his hands keep moving over my body. I wait till his fingers are in me to prepare me for his, not so little dragon; by which I don't mean the one in the stone tablet in his temple, but rather the one he's hiding beneath his clothing. He is just about to enter me when I throw him over with one quick, fluent movement. The second I have a very surprised dragon under me I start riding him and enjoy being on top for once.

At first he's too astonished to even consider to throw me over again, and after that passes he is much too pleasured by my movements to do anything but enjoy the feeling just like I do.

It doesn't take long until I come all over him and soon after I feel him fill me with his seed. I lie down on his chest, breathing heavily, and mumble, "You might be stronger, but I'm tricky. Have a little faith in me. I'll keep myself safe. You won't loose me anytime soon."

I feel his arms move around me and hold me tight as his lips move over my hair. "I hope you're right… Because I can't bare to lose you, Joey."

* * *

><p>Authors Note: Thanks to Leviathan of the Sea for the review.<p>

Next chapter you'll learn more about the twins again and you'll get to listen to a bed time story which is a old Egyptian legend about Osiris, Isis, Anubis and Set.


	4. Bed time story

**Bed time story**

_**Joey's POV**_

It really is interesting to travel with Yugi and the twins. It seems to me that Yugi is the only child with me and Seto and not my sister's little twin children. It is really fun to watch Yugi run around with Fenny and try to catch her. The twins are more quiet and reserved, or perhaps they're just more exhausted from the long ride they do during the days. We always have a break around noon to get out of the sun and rest a little and eat, but the day must still be exhausting to them. Aknamkanon is always riding with me, and Mana with Seto. The overprotective fool probably doesn't want to let her too close to me. How silly of him. The girl is four; what's the worst she can do, drool on me?

"You okay?" I hear Seto ask now that we rest next to the bank of the Nile for the night.

"I'm great," I say with a mocking smile. "Just like I was a few minutes ago when we arrived. Honestly you're more protective of me than Mokuba was with my sister when she was pregnant. I got some news, I can't have babies so you don't need to baby me around like this."

I see his face blush a tiny bit, "I still worry, especially with what you said about Mana. She seems to hate you, and if she doesn't hesitate to hurt Aknamkanon then I bet she wouldn't mind hurting you."

"Oh how scary," I say still with a mocking smile and an even more mocking tone. "A four year old is trying to kill me. Watch me die of fear. Honey I got stabbed by my mother and abused by my father and still managed to face him off and, surprise, I'm still here with you. Mana isn't going to finish what those two couldn't manage."

"But they got close," Seto says, using his old excuse to be overprotective. I sort of understand it since I don't even want to imagine seeing him as close to death as he saw me, 'a grand total of three times' as he always points out every chance he gets, but just because I understand it doesn't mean I like it. I'm far over 20 years and survived more than most do and I'm still standing here proud and strong, and nowhere near the weak and terrified slave I once was. A four year old isn't going to finish me off now. I'm much more worried about Yugi's Gramps. We still don't know what happened to him and we've been riding through the dessert for a while now, following Yugi's orders for directions.

"They were grown ups and hated my guts. She is a four year old that is pissed that I ruined her fun watching the pretty flames," I say, hoping that's really all that is to it.

"You said yourself that that isn't all," he says and I think, _Unfortunately I did._ I know that if I had kept my oversized mouth shut he wouldn't be half as protective right now.

"But she is still four years of age," I say for I don't know how many times now. "Honestly, what is she to do that can possibly be bad enough to hurt me?"

"I don't know," he says, and I'm about to say 'you see' when he adds, "That's what's worries me. There are so many ways she could hurt you."

"Say what?" I can't believe this. Is he really worried that a four year old is going to hurt me? "You got a choice now. Either you learn to have some faith in me, or you're going to need your hand to get some fun at night," I say, and love the shocked look on his face. He is just too cute when I say things like that.

I leave him to think about it and walk to the twins, who sit at the fire Seto has started to keep the dangerous animals that live in the desert away from us. They both sit on opposite sides of it, Mana looking at the flames and seeming to be in thought. The evil and happy smile from the visions isn't on her face, so I doubt that she just likes watching the flames without caring what they do or realizing the danger.

Aknamkanon looks a little afraid toward his sister. He looks at her with so much fear in his eyes and I can't help but wonder what is going on. In my vision they were holding hands and seemed to be one, just like they sometimes do now. They were a little older in that vision but the moments they hold hands are less often than they used to be. I sit down next to Aknamkanon and see Seto sit down next to Mana while his eyes are fixed on his highness, Yugi.

It feels strange to call him his highness just because he is married to the pharaoh. Yugi was the first friend I ever made, and I love him to pieces; we're very close and spend as much time together as we can. It is also strange since we both started out at the court as bed slaves and it is really hard to say 'your highness' to him, but luckily he doesn't give a damn and Atemu doesn't either as long as Yugi is happy the way things are. He isn't interfering in our friendship, and since I'm a high priest and one of his sacred guardians I got to know him a lot better too. He isn't nearly as bad as I thought he was at first. He is kind and caring and spends a lot of time thinking about what he can do for Egypt to make the lives of his people more comfortable and safer.

I also know by now that even though I thought he treated me like a toy at the start, he actually is against slavery but it isn't easy to change the beliefs and life style of so many people over night. He is, however, against unfair treatment of his slaves and was shocked when he found out how I was treated before I came to the palace; he now exchanges the guards regularly and keeps a closer eye on the treatment of his slaves there. I like that he is doing it because even though no one there was really a friend of mine or ever cared about me, I still knew them all by name and wish none of them anything bad, and hope they too will one day be free like I had the luck to become.

"Would you two like to hear a story before you go to bed?" I ask the twins and put an arm around my little nephew.

"Yes please," he says while the girl just looks at me with the same angry look she always has when she and Aknamkanon aren't close to each other.

I smile at the little guy and start to tell him one of my favorite stories, one that I first heard from Seto during my first week in the palace. "This story is a true one, so listen closely. It all happened in the time of the Golden Age. Back then the gods walked over the earth with us humans. It was long before the grandfather of our Pharaoh's grandfather was born.

At that time Osiris, the great grandson of Ra himself, sat on the throne of the gods and ruled over all of us in the living world while Ra ruled over the gods in the immortal world. This means that Osiris was also the first Pharaoh that we had. His Queen was Isis and they ruled for a very long time, keeping order and making sure that our beautiful world was peaceful."

"Like Atemu and his queen, Yugi," Aknamkanon says with a smile.

"Who are you calling a queen?" Yugi says with a little pout.

"Sorry," Aknamkanon says and cuddles closer to me with a fearful look, but Yugi just smiles at him and ruffles his hair a little before I can continue.

"But there was also a little problem back then; it came from Osiris's own brother. His name is Set and he is the defender of the Sun Boat and keeps it safe from Apep the Destroyer. He has a bit of a temper though, and is a very proud man. He was a bit jealous of his brother back then because he had all that power over the living world, and he also was jealous that Isis was the Queen and not his wife Nephthys. And in his dark mind he made a plan to kill Osiris and take all that away from him."

"Like Seto," Aknamkanon says, and I'm surprised. Set is a god of darkness and Seto is my light; I never thought that there could be any resemblance at all. "Seto is proud too, and daddy says that he always wants to send people to the shadows when they look at you too much because he's jealous."

I nearly laugh my head off and I'm not sure what's more amusing, what Aknamkanon said or the embarrassed look that it brings on Seto's face along with the slight blush.

"You're right, kiddo, they are a little alike. But Seto just wishes to do mean things like that, he would never really do them." I'm not really sure if this was the truth, but I hope it is. I don't like making a resemblance between Seto and Set. I'm a bit afraid of the god of darkness and respect him for his power. But I really love Seto, who brought back so much light into my life that used to be consumed by darkness. "Set did go through with his plan. He built a box and inscribed it with a wicked magic that chains anyone who enters it inside and stops them from escaping. Once he had it built he took it to the great feast of the gods. Once there he waited until Osiris had a bit too much beer.

"Why?" Aknamkanon asked, "Does he get as funny as Atemu when he had too much beer?"

"Yes he does," I say with a grin and remember the last feast where Atemu was drunk like always.

"It's not his fault though," Yugi says to protect his beloved husband. "He has to drink all that beer because it isn't polite to not drink with someone who drinks to your health, and it isn't polite to go to a feast of the Pharaoh and not drink with him to his health. And so he has to drink a glass with everyone there."

"Oh," Aknamkanon simply says "Poor guy."

'_Poor Aknamkanon,'_ I think because he's the next in line and will know how that feels all too soon. Once he's of age everyone will want to drink to the health of the heir as well.

"What happened to Osiris then?" he asks me and looks up to me with curious eyes.

"Set is really smart and took advantage of the fact that the mind of Osiris was a bit clouded, due to the beer, and challenged him to enter the box in turns with him and to try and break it open with their sheer strength. Osiris believed in himself and the alcohol of the beer made his mind clouded like I said, and so he fell for the trick. He entered the box and Set quickly poured melted lead on him. Osiris tried to get out, but the magic kept him inside until he died in the lead. Set threw him, with the box, into the Nile and he floated away." I see that Aknamkanon was upset by this and see his sister watching me with interest now. I continue the story to reach the end faster and to ensure that they can learn from the past as our legends tell them.

"Set took the throne of Osiris and demanded that Nephthys would be his Queen. None of the other gods dared to stand against him since he is a very powerful god and Ra, who has more power, grieved for his great grandson Osiris; and the grief was so bad that he just looked away.

A dark time started that day because Set is very different from Osiris. He is cruel and unkind. He didn't keep our world in balance like Osiris had. He didn't care for law or for us, the children of the gods. It was war on the world and our people cried out to Ra to help, but he didn't want to listen in his grief over Osiris.

Only our blessed Isis remembered us poor, unfortunate, souls. And Isis is very brave and wasn't afraid of Set at all."

"Like you," Aknamkanon says to my huge surprise. I just hope he isn't going to say that I'm like a mum or a woman. "You're not afraid of Seto either."

I can't help but laugh at this, "No I'm not, but Seto wouldn't hurt me and isn't cruel now is he?"

"No," Aknamkanon says and eyes Seto once before whispering into my ears. "But he's scary."

I laugh even harder at this, "Maybe, but Set is more scary trust me. But Isis still searched everywhere in the Nile for the box. She wanted to find her beloved husband, Osiris, after all. She found the box tangled in a bush at the banks of the river, and the bush had turned into a mighty tree because the power of Osiris was still in his dead body. She opened the box and cried over the lifeless body before turning herself into a bird and using her magic to become a child with the help of the spirit from Osiris, which went into her for this spell. The boy was named Horus and she hid him carefully from his uncle Set so Horus could one day avenge his father's death.

After that Isis went to Thoth, the god of wisdom, and asked him for knowledge. She needed a spell that could bring Osiris back to life because she missed him. Thoth knows everything and that included the right spell that he wanted to perform with Isis, but because the sprit of Osiris had left his body it was now lost and they needed to create a new body that would attract his spirit. And so they created a new body for Osiris.

But before Thoth and Isis could perform the ritual to bring his spirit into the body and give him a new life, Set found out about their plan and stole the new body. He took it apart and hid the pieces all over Egypt. That way he was sure that Osiris could never be reborn.

But Isis was still brave and asked Anubis, the lord of the death who was raised as a child by Isis, for help and together they searched all the pieces and put them back together. They brought all the pieces to Thoth, who worked his magic on them. Once the body parts were together, which took a very long time, Anubis, the lord of the dead, put all the pieces together and then he washed the entrails and put balm on his body and wrapped it in linen like we do with our dead so they have a body for the day of awakening.

After that was done Anubis cast the Ritual of Life and the spirit of Osiris entered his new body through his open mouth and he was alive again. But nothing that had died may live in our world anymore, not even a god, because this is the world of the living. Osiris went to Duat, the land of the dead, and Anubis happily gave him his throne; since that day Osiris is the lord of the dead. There he stands in judgment over the souls now, and is very fair to every soul that dies just like Anubis had done before him. The just souls can go to the Blessed Land, but the wicked ones are condemned to be devoured by Ammit."

"How does he know who's wicked?" Mana asks to my surprise.

"He watches over us while we live and decides depending on our actions," I explain.

"But what if someone regrets something they did?" Mana asks. "Is there no way to make up for it?"

"Osiris is a fair and just god," I say. "I'm sure he understands that we can be weak at times and will give us a second chance somehow."

"To everyone?" Aknamkanon asks now, and I'm surprised that two four year olds think so much about what happens to ones soul once this person dies. They haven't even known anyone who isn't in the land of the living anymore.

"I like to think so," I say and think of my parents. "And we can certainly pray for those souls."

"Do you pray?" Aknamkanon asks. "I mean for your parents. I know that Mummy doesn't want to pray for them."

I'm sad to hear that Serenity doesn't even seem to pray for mother, who cared for her at least. "Yes," I answer and know that it will upset Seto. "They had a hard and challenging life and I understand why they were cruel at some times. And I love them no matter what."

"You're a liar," Mana whispers but stands up and leaves before I can continue, and I see that Aknamkanon looks doubtful.

"Let's continue," I say after a moment, unsure what I should make of this discussion. "Set was angry that Osiris was alive again, but glad that he could never return to the world of the living and he was sure that none could ever take the throne from him and he would rule over the living forever.

But Horus, the son of Osiris, grew to manhood and became very strong before Set found out about him. Once he knew that Horus existed Set send out serpents and demons to kill the child of Osiris, but Horus was strong enough to fight them all off. Once he was ready to face Set, his mother Isis gave him great magic and Thoth gave him a magic knife.

Horus fought Set for days and he won but he refused to kill Set because spilling the blood of his own Uncle would make him as bad as Set, and he longed to be just and good like his father. Set still wanted to rule, but Horus wanted to claim the throne of his father too. The gods, of whom some where on the side of Horus while others sided with Set, fought for a long time and disrupted the balance in this world even further as the rule of Set had done already. Banebdjedet leaped in and demanded that the gods end this struggle in peace to protect the world. He said that the gods would have to ask Nieth, who is warlike though wise in council, and he chose that Horus as the son of the former ruler was first in line and the rightful heir. Horus cast Set into the darkness where he still lives.

That is why Horus is watching over us to this day and is one of the biggest protectors and guides of the ruling pharaoh, while his father Osiris rules over the world of the dead. But Set still longs to rule, as well as for revenge, and he fights Horus at times. When Horus wins everything in our world is in balance, but when Set wins there will be turmoil. But we must never forget that no matter how dark the times might be, the light of Horus will find a way to get through the darkness towards us and save us once more and bring a better time until one day Horus will defeat Set forever and Osiris will be able to return to this world. On that day, the day of awakening, all the tombs will open and the dead that had a good soul will walk over this world again and all sorrow will pass forever."

"Will Horus watch over me too?" Aknamkanon asks me, his eyes focused on me intently.

"Yes my dear. The Pharaoh is a god himself and called a son of Horus because the royal line started with Horus. And you are from that line since your father is a cousin of Atemu," I explain with a smile, and I'm surprised to see him look sad.

"Does that count for the body or for the soul," he asks, and I'm even more confused now. I wish I could see into his mind and understand this strange question. I look at Yugi and Seto for a moment, but both look just as confused as I feel.

"Sure, it's both the same person isn't it?" I say and hope that it answers his questions enough, but he still looks thoughtful.

"It's getting late," Seto says. "You should go to bed, young prince."

Aknamkanon nods and leaves us to go to bed. I follow him to see if his sweet sister is already asleep; she isn't, and as soon as Aknamkanon enters the tent they reach out to each other and hold their hands. I see them look around confused and then look at me for a moment.

"I love you two," I say and see them smile a little.

"love you unca," both say together, and I notice for the first time that when together like this they aren't talking as mature as when they're more separated.

"Do you know where we are?" I ask and see them both shake their heads. "Do you remember the ride today?"

Both look at each other and then shake their heads again but seem to think this normal. It might be normal to them.

"Okay, don't worry. I'm here and Seto is too, and we both and your mummy and daddy all love you. Now sleep tight my little ones."

I tuck them in a little and return to the fire. Seto sees that I'm deep in thought and asks, "What is troubling you now? Did Mana do something?"

"No," I say and sit down next to him. "But both Mana and Aknamkanon held hands again and didn't remember anything from the ride today, or how they got here. I think someone or something is controlling them at times."

"Ha," Seto says triumphantly and I stare at him; he must have figured something out. "That means that someone older then four is in charge of Mana at times and playing you, so I do have a reason to worry about you and protect you."

"Are you crazy?" I ask and wish the kids weren't in easy hearing range so I could scream at him. "We're talking about someone possibly controlling the twins and all you think about is an excuse for you to be an overprotective jerk. Get a hold of yourself, Seto, and focus on what's important. They're our family." And with that I walk to my tent to make sure he gets the point that I'm angry. I know I'll forgive him as soon as he cuddles up to me later, I just love him too much to stay mad and I still understand his worries even though it annoys me, but I want him to see what's important too.

* * *

><p>Authors note: In the next chapter Yugi will meet an old friend...Tristan!<p> 


	5. Trail

**Trail.**

_**Joey's POV**_

We reached the city that the tribe was traveling to yesterday; Yugi had known this from his Gramps at his last visit two month ago. After this point they could have gone anywhere. This will be a long search since we're two months behind the tribe and we have two children with us slowing us down, but the tribe will need even more time to prepare for the night or for a break during the day, and that is the only reason we might catch up to them at all.

Yugi is walking around the city with me while Seto is staying at the camp with the children. It isn't easy to keep two small kids under control when in a big city and they aren't that far away, I can still get there fast if I get a vision and Yugi will be safe enough with me by his side and more comfortable with me than with my husband. He used to be terrified by him and still fears him a little. Seto's death glare can get rather terrifying, and before Yugi married the pharaoh he had gotten on the wrong side of said glare a few times.

I walk into a small and dirty bar and Yugi runs up to a bar tender and says, "Hey Tristan, long time no see."

"Hey Yugi, how are you my little friend?" he asks and hugs Yugi before suddenly stepping back and making a bow before the husband of the pharaoh and adding, "Sorry, I'm probably not allowed to do that anymore, your highness."

"Oh don't worry," Yugi says. "As long as Atemu doesn't get a reason to misinterpret this it's fine, old friend. But I need to find my old tribe. I know that they wanted to come here; Gramps told me on his last visit."

"You're still a desert child aren't you, to run around hunting down your tribe?" Tristan asks with a smile. "I'll only tell you what I know if you have a drink with your old friend."

"Tristan you know how bad I react to alcohol," Yugi says with a blush.

"Yeah, and I wonder how you manage to cope on those big feasts the pharaoh has all the time. Doesn't just about everyone want to drink on to your health?" Tristan asks.

"No, the only ones that aren't praying that my spot gets free for them know how I react and are nice enough to spare me. Atemu is the one who gets drunk on a regular basis," Yugi says with a smile, and I wonder if he truly believes it.

The truth is that Atemu keeps everyone from getting too close to his little husband, knowing already how easily he gets drunk and how sick he gets from it. He hates seeing Yugi unwell and does it to keep him safe. I probably will have to tell Yugi that at some point to make sure that he doesn't think everyone is wishing him dead just to be able to get married to Atemu.

"Well I'm not so nice I want to drink with our highness to your health, and one drink isn't going to kill you my friend," Tristan says and gets out three huge glasses placing, one in front of me. At least I react better to it by now since I also drink some at those parties, but still not much and never on a regular basis and Atemu makes damn sure to have much smaller glasses since he knows how many he's forced to drink. "By the way, Yugi, who's that friend you have with you?"

"That's Joey. He's my best friend in the palace, and one of the sacred guardians," Yugi introduces me. "By the way, Joey, this is Tristan. His grandfather used to own this bar and was a good friend of Gramps. He always stops by here when he's in the area and usually tells him where they go next."

"So this is how you're going to follow them." I finally know how to trail the tribe and why only Yugi can do it. I wouldn't know someone in every city of Egypt to ask for the way, but I bet that Yugi does. He must know all of his Gramps's friends.

Once Yugi drank a bit of the beer he asks again, "So will you tell me now where they went? I think Gramps is in trouble and I need to find him."

"He told me that he wanted to visit another friend, someone called Rebecca. She is the granddaughter of another friend, just like me I guess," Tristan says with a smile. "I don't know where she is though, just that she isn't living with her grandpa anymore and that after that they all wanted to go to Bolbitine* at the coast."

I see Yugi smile and just hope that he knows where this Rebecca lives, and where we might be able to catch up to his tribe. I listen to them talk for a little while until the beer is finished and I notice that he must know where to go next since he promises Tristan to say hi to someone called Duke if we get far enough. It is just past noon and if we hurry we can ride a little further today. From what I hear from their conversation, the tribe stayed for a week to do some trading on the market here. They probably want to do the same wherever this Rebecca lives, which should give us some extra time.

I'm happy once we leave the bar and are on our way back to the camp. Even though the twins aren't far away I still feel a bit uneasy. "Do you know where we need to go next?" I ask Yugi, unable to wait till we're back.

"Sure Joey," He says smiling. "And I bet I know a short cut too. There are two possible routes through the dessert but they definitely pass a city, to which one I know a little short cut. If we can talk Seto to leave the river a little to our left, it's just half a day's ride and I know a waterhole for the night but it isn't on his map and you know him."

"Total control freak." I already see the problem with this. He's never going to believe that Yugi knows something his map doesn't know, but I know how Yugi grew up and I saw him the last days run around the desert. And unlike Seto, I know how trapped he feels in the palace even after all the years he lived there. If it wasn't for Atemu he would never stay there of his own free will. It's like a golden cage and only the love for his husband is holding him inside.

On our way back I had another one of those troublesome visions. "Yugi," I say after I see Mana showing her brother some nice and cute pets in the river and pushing him in to play with the nice crocodiles. "Run!" I just add and start running myself, but not at full speed since I can't leave the pharaohs husband out of my side and Yugi is shorter and slower as well.

I'm not even completely at the resting place where Seto should be with the kids when I see Mana and Aknamkanon standing close to the river and no Seto in sight. "Get Seto," I say to Yugi and run faster. She is already standing behind him and I call out to tell them to get away from the river, but I'm a tiny bit too late and Aknamkanon is pushed into the river. The water is still high and I jump in after him. He isn't far in but it's already too deep for him to stand and I can just about grab him before the first crocodile is in front of me. The crocodile opens his jaw and I dive under in the last second, still holding onto Aknamkanon, and try to get away from the dangerous animal; but in the current they're much faster then I am, and I fear that I can't even keep myself safe here never mind Aknamkanon.

I swim towards shore as fast as I can and try to avoid the dangerous attacks of the crocodiles. My fear starts to spike when more and more of those animals swim towards me and the young prince of Egypt. I hear Aknamkanon cough and know that he already must have swallowed a lot of water, and he is crying in fear clinging to me so tightly that I have trouble breathing even when over water; and my arms aren't really free to swim either because I have to hold on to him.

Two crocodile are getting closer again and I know that it's going to be hard to avoid both. I manage to avoid one but the other is to close and I see his mouth open, and my arm is nearly inside when something golden flashes by and I see blood come from the crocodile. It all goes so fast I hardly notice anything, nothing but the strong arm that finds it's way around my waist so effortlessly that it can only be Seto's. I feel myself relax even though we're all still in danger but I feel much safer with Seto close to me.

I see him fight off another crocodile with the knife that is hidden in the hilt of his rod while helping me to swim with Aknamkanon towards the shore, much faster now that he's keeping the crocodiles at bay. Once I'm out I cuddle the boy and whisper, "It's alright, you're safe now. They won't come out, we're faster here, it's alright now."

He calms a little but still tries to get out of my embrace, and I see his sister cry from the corner of my eyes. I put him down and see them hug each other. I see Seto look at the girl with anger but he isn't scolding her, obviously noticing that she wasn't the same right now. Something must be controlling her, either that or she is possessed by something.

I feel Seto's arms around me pulling me closer and feel his breath at my ear before I hear his voice. "I thought you could keep yourself safe."

"Sorry," I whisper back. "I certainly wasn't expecting this."

"Next time don't jump," he whispers even more quietly, obviously not wanting Yugi-who stood close by-to hear this.

I had to jump and save the heir to the throne of Egypt, and I wanted to do it because I loved my nephew, but I knew why he said this. I wouldn't have wanted Seto to risk his life, not even for Aknamkanon. "You know I can't just watch. You would have done the same," I say, but cuddle him a little.

"Sure, but unlike you, I would have a weapon with me," Seto points out. "And I don't want to lose you. This is the fourth time I've nearly lost you and, let me point out, this time due to a four year old."

I feel the blood run upwards into my cheeks and mumble "Wrong, due to some crocodiles. And now lets discus this later, we need to get moving, we're still on a mission for Yugi."

I see in his eyes that he doesn't like that I pretend like nothing happened, but there isn't much I can do about it. I have no idea what is going on with the twins. Something didn't make sense to me but I wasn't ready to tell the others about the fear I started to harbor.

I keep thinking about it though, but don't find any explanation by the time we reach the resting place where our horses are. Seto gets out his map and Yugi shows us the route he talked about.

"Rebecca lives north from here in Iunu*; we're at Giza right now. Knowing my tribe they will follow the eastern river from here and, after staying there for a while, they'll use those three waterholes for resting places to reach Merimda and travel along the river to Bolbitine."

"Then we should skip Iunu and go straight to Merimda. If we hurry and they took their time there then we might be able to catch up to them shortly after Merimda," Seto says, and is about to pack the map away.

"If we use that water hole we can reach them one day sooner," Yugi says and points to a spot not far southwest from the Nile.

"Just that there is no waterhole," Seto says, and I can see the fight starting already.

"Yeah sure. You're the one who grew up in the desert, so you must know," Yugi says and I see him shiver a little under the death glare he's earning himself from my husband. But instead of letting his fear get the better of him he takes the map and rips it to shreds.

"Have you lost your mind?" Seto says, furious now. "We can't leave the river without a map, we'll get lost in the desert!"

"You would," Yugi agrees. "but I won't. I know the desert better then anyone writing such a stupid map. No Nomad would ever write a map because no Nomad needs a map. What we know about our desert is our secret, and I'm one of the Nomads; no matter how long I live in the palace my heart's in the desert. The desert is my home, always was and always will be. I know that there is a waterhole nourished by the Nile; it's dry when the river has a dry period, which is why it isn't on your stupid map! It isn't stable enough to be on it but it **is **there, and now that the river is at it's high point it won't fail us. And anyway it's half a days ride from the Nile, so there is hardly a big risk of dehydration. And just so you know, I don't give a damn what you say about directions! This is my desert and I go to where I know I need to go to find my Gramps, and if you want to keep me safe like Atemu ordered you to do then you better follow my directions!"

My jaw drops. Yugi is still shivering in fear though the whole speech, but he still talked back bravely.

Seto is speechless. In all the years I've lived with him now, I have never seen him speechless. Yugi just stares back into his death glare, still shivering until he obviously can't bare it anymore, but instead of giving in he stands up and starts packing his stuff. I see Seto move his hand to his millennium rod and I put mine on his with a whispered, "Try to control Yugi's mind and Atemu is going to make me a widower."

"At least then you'd know how it was for me to watch you die," Seto says icily.

I move my arms around him and give him a short kiss, "I'm sorry I scared you."

I hear him sigh and know that he isn't truly mad at me; he's just worried like always. "I know you didn't have much of a choice but, please, try to think of your own safety a little more. At least get a weapon or something with you when happily go jumping into the water to dance with some crocodiles."

"I don't need a weapon," I say with a smile. "I'll send someone to get you. You're better then any weapon."

I see him smile, happy that I had at least done that much and trust him to save me even when I don't want him hovering protectively around me all the time. "And now let's pack. We have to follow Yugi." I cast one more look towards the twins that are still hugging and wonder how long it will last this time, and I pray to Anubis to protect us on this journey and help us return safely in inb-hD*.

* **Bolbitine** is a city that was located north of the modern Rosetta and named after the so called Nile Delta a Delta in the north where the river Nile spreads out and runs into the sea. It isn't in existence anymore, not in the same way since Rosetta took it's place. The tribe goes there because the markets near the coast might have some other goods that might even be cheaper since it doesn't have to travel the Nile after traveling the sea. Since I mostly usually watched the English anime version of Yugioh where Atemu was born 5000 years ago, and therefore at around 3000 B.C. I chose to go with the original name since that would be in the time of the old Kingdom instead of the modern time name Rosetta. I hope it isn't too confusing.

* **Iunu** is now a ruin north of Cairo and was known as Heliopolis in a later time but since I'm going to use the ancient names that I found online to fit the time period better, I used this one.

* **Giza** is a city that is at the west bank of the river Nile where it starts to divide. It still exists.

* **Merimda** is a city that has existed since about 5000 B.C. and is located on the western arm of the river after it spreads out, and the river leads towards Rosetta

* **inb-hD** translates as 'the white wall(s)' and is named after the walls surrounding the ancient city. It was the capital of Egypt and home of the reigning pharaoh during the old Kingdom before it was moved to Thebes. It is the original name but was also called Mn-nfr at some times in ancient Egypt. The Greeks version of the name is Memphis and still exists in upper Egypt. At first Memphis was only the name of a monument, but by now the whole area, including the city. is named this way. It is just south of Cairo. Since I chose the time of the old Kingdom for this fic I go with this city as the capital where the palace is located and use the original name of the city, even though I have NO idea how to pronounce it.


	6. Desert

**Desert**

_**Joey's POV**_

We should be nearly at the water hole and I ride closer to Yugi. He and Seto hardly exchanged a single word with each other since we left Giza. I'm still shocked at how brave Yugi was since I know how much he fears my husband, and I still can see him shiver whenever he looks into Seto's death glare. "Don't worry, Yugi. He won't dare to do anything and he'll calm down sooner or later."

"Are you sure?" I hear Yugi ask and see him look over his shoulder towards Seto, who is a little back with Mana sitting in front of him; her face angry towards me. "He still looks mad."

"Oh he is," I confirm honestly "And he will be even more infuriated when we find water at the waterhole. He hates to be wrong, but he will also be more angry if there isn't any water and we took too much risk in his opinion. But you still don't need to worry because he simply can't touch you."

"Because Atemu will hurt him?" Yugi asks "He can always try to lie to Atemu and make it look like an accident."

"No he can't," I say with a smile to comfort him. "You're my friend and he knows that I would protect you and that I want you safe, and I would see it if he did anything to you. Trust me, there is nothing he can do and he isn't that angry anyway; I got him under control."

"I'm just happy that you're with me too," I hear him say. "When you talked about the kids needing you close I feared that I would have to travel with Seto alone."

I can't help but laugh a little. I wish I could be alone with Seto again for a little while. He is just too cute when he's mad and I know how to get him in the right mood with ease, and even know that he would be in a much better mood after that, but the twins in the tent next to us would hear us and that would just be troublesome. "Don't worry, we're all together and Seto can't do anything," I say, sort of upset that it also means that he can't do anything with me. I see Yugi look at me with a confused expression, obviously noticing that I'm less pleased that we're all here than he might be, so I add, "I just wish it wasn't necessary, you know? I wish you wouldn't need to worry about your Gramps so much."

"Yeah, I wish that too," he says and looks sad. "We're nearly at the waterhole."

"Really? How do you know? One place looks like the next," I say, and it's true; there are absolutely no landmarks like there had been a little closer to the Nile, and even though there is still a bit of green here and there since we're not that far from the river it still all looks the same to me.

"The desert is never the same," Yugi disagrees. "The grass, and the sun, and the shadows on it don't look alike. Trust me, I know where we are and the air already told me that the waterhole is just fine. There is a tree just on the other side of that dune over there and that's where the waterhole is."

We ride on, and once we are across the dune I really can see a tree and right next to it is a little waterhole. It really isn't more than a hole that's not much bigger than a well, but it is there and the water looks clean and fresh.

"I hope the water there is fresh," I hear Seto grumble.

I share his fear since, unlike an oasis, a waterhole isn't always very stable; even the ones on the map aren't, so this one must be even worse. And that it isn't stable doesn't only mean that it might be dry. A waterhole can also change from fresh water to salt water depending on the weather or season, as well as a lot of other factors. The temperature can vary from 3 to 40 degrees as well, but at least the Nile isn't far away and we can always ride there quickly if need be. If Seto rides there alone to get water he'll be even faster and the twins can rest, and we still have some water supplies to get us through one more day.

We reach the waterhole and Yugi looks confident as he walks right up and takes some in his cupped hands. I see the crystal clear water slowly run through his fingers while I hear Seto's warning. "Careful, what if there is something in the water?"

Yugi just smiles and drinks some, "It's fine. It looks fine, smells fine and tastes fine as well, so you can drink it."

"Did you have to be the one to try it? Atemu will kill me if you kill yourself," Seto says, still upset. I wonder what's worse, that Yugi is the one ordering him around, or that Yugi was right. It definitely isn't his worry for Yugi's life that upsets him.

"Would you rather have Joey taste it?" Yugi asks.

"No, but I could have tried it," Seto suggests.

"Oh, so I can't take a piss on my own without you worrying your ass off but you can risk your life?" I mumble but only smile at him when he glares at me silently. "Just calm down, dragon. We have fresh water like Yugi said; have some faith in him. He grew up in the desert, so trust him." He still glares but is quiet for now.

"Tomorrow night we'll reach the river bend and then follow it straight to Merimda," Yugi says. "The way we travel, and from what I know about the tribe, I guess that we'll catch up there or along the river the day after that."

We rest for the night at the waterhole and I see a vision while sitting around the fire. Mana sneaks a small log of which one side was already aflame from the fireplace, and brings it to her sleeping brother. I watch the fire this night and as soon as she crawls out of the tent she looks at me and crawls back inside. I guess from now on Seto and I will have to take turns watching out for the twins during the night. We didn't think it necessary so far since we're not enough to attract raiders or slave traders, and even if they get desperate enough to go for our tiny group we can still hear them and summon a shadow monster to scare them off with ease, but Mana's attacks on Aknamkanon are silent; and just in case I miss one of them with my visions I better have a closer watch on her. I still wonder what is going on though.

When is she controlled and by what? Is her brother controlled too, and if yes, who or what is controlling him? But most of all why in the name of Ra should anyone try to control one four year old, never mind two of them! They have no power yet. There is nothing to be gained. Or is this just a test and whoever controls them is simply practicing? But then some random children who have nothing to do with the palace would be less noticeable and, due to that, better targets for testing. I just don't understand the reasoning behind all of this.

I take a deep breath and try to focus on the more important things now; we have to find Yugi's Gramps. The kids can be sorted once we're back and Shadi is back with the millennium key. He will be able to find out what's going on now that we know that something is up, so until then we just need to keep Aknamkanon alive. And I want to get back to inb-hD soon because it hurts to hear Yugi cry his eyes out because he misses his Atemu every single night while I keep an eye out for trouble.

A few day's later we're getting close to Merimada. Seto decides that it is time to stop, trying to keep as much control as he can with Yugi giving us the directions. Yugi stops after Seto tells us that the children will need to rest and so should we. I stop too, but unlike me Yugi stays on his horse. I watch him and see him look at some point across the Nile. The river that already had started to spread here isn't nearly as wide as by inb-hD, but the water is still high.

"We need to across the river," Yugi suddenly says and watches the desert on the other side closely.

"Why?" Seto asks. "Merimda is on this side of the river and it is foolish to try and cross it."

"It isn't impossible though, and the tribe hasn't reached the city yet. They probably want to cross the river tomorrow," Yugi says.

"How can you possibly know that all of a sudden?" Seto asks and Yugi points to the sky on the other side.

I can't see anything there but after staring into the dark I notice a star disappearing for a second and then notice that there is some smoke rising somewhere but I can't see the fire. They must block the light with something. I guess the smell of the fire is enough to scare off the animals, but the light will attract raiders and such people, but I'm curious how they do this. "How do you know that it's them?" I ask. "Couldn't it be another tribe?"

"Trust me, it's them. It fits the time, and the size of the space over there is right too. We nomads don't like to go too close to a city during the evening, we always approach in the mornings. They must have gotten into some trouble on the way and are a little later than usual. And more people must be gone because it also is a tiny bit smaller, I think, but the smell is typical for them. I won't say more because it's a Nomad secret, but I know it's them by the sent in the air."

"How do you know the size," I ask surprised. I can hardly see the smoke, never mind anything else. "And what scent? I can't smell a thing."

"Joey, trust me. The place where the smoke rises between the dunes doesn't support a bigger group, and a smaller would use a place further south since there is even less space and the dunes are higher, making the place more protected and the fire harder to see. And like I said before, I'm not going to tell you the secrets of us Nomads. Not even Atemu will ever hear them from me. I'm not going to betray my tribe." Yugi explains, and I have to say that I'm impressed with his knowledge of the desert. He really seems to know every dune in all of Egypt.

"Fine, we cross, but if you're wrong I swear…"

We aren't hearing what he is going to do, and I guess he doesn't know that himself yet considering that there isn't much he can do. Yugi is Atemu's husband and therefore technically, like Aknamkanon had pointed out, our queen. We have to listen to him and can't touch him, and I'm happy about it since I really fear what Seto might like to do to my friend if he gets too furious.

We ride a little further along the river and cross it close to another bend where the current is slower and the river isn't quiet as deep. The horses should be able to get us across there even though the banks are a bit further away, but that is the reason for the decrease in the current.

Once we're on the other side we slowly ride closer to the smoke until Fenny jumps from Yugi's horse and runs ahead. Yugi smiles and rides after her in a hurry. She seems to recognize some people there, and I'm relived since it must mean that we really have the right tribe here.

"Fenny!" I hear a child scream and see a boy run down from a dune close to where the fire must be. The boy is maybe 8 years of age and plays with Fenny a little, "Did you find the old man again? Is he alright?" The boy looks up and scrams once he sees Yugi and shouts, "Yugi, you're here!"

I watch Yugi dismount his horse and the boy runs into his arms. "Jaden? Is that you?" I hear Yugi ask the boy with wild hair and obviously a lot of energy.

"Sure is," the boy says with a smile "You have to help me big brother."

"Brother?" I ask in surprise. "I didn't know you had a brother."

"I don't, not really anyway," Yugi says "But I used to mind him sometimes when his mum was on a market; his dad died just after he was born. He called me big bro, but I'm surprised he remembers me because I've been gone for so long and he was so small back then."

"Gramps talks about you all the time," Jaden says "He used to mind me after you left. And you have to find them… Slave traders got mum and he tried to help her but they took him too, as well as some others."

"What?" I see Yugi's shocked face. He is terrified of slave traders ever since one was really tough on him when taking him away from his desert. This is the first time he left the city ever since Atemu saved him from said trader. But he obviously still knows his desert, and during the day feels just as at home here as he did back in the day, but at night he misses his Atemu. I'm not surprised since during day time Atemu doesn't have as much time for Yugi as he might like to have, but at nights they're always together. During the day in the palace Yugi is in the gardens and misses the desert but the wind and sand there help him over the longing, and the knowledge that he'll see Atemu later is a great comfort too. I also think that it helped him when I showed up at the palace and we started to spend some time together. He was the one who suggested it and was brave enough to ask Seto if I was allowed to spend time with him since I was still Seto's slave back then.

"Do you know where they took him and when?" Yugi asks.

"No, but the others might," he says and we all follow them to the tribe. Yugi's old people are happy to see him and none of them treat him like they should treat the husband of their pharaoh, but Yugi is happy to be back. Seto and I are mainly ignored and they don't seem to trust either one of us.

Yugi talks to some of the grown ups there but they don't talk as freely with us around, and I pull Seto a little ways away just out of earshot but still keep Yugi in sight. "They don't like us do they?"

"They're Nomads," Seto says. "They live their life in the desert and live by it's rules. They follow the pharaoh's laws, most of the times at least, but they mistrust everything that civilization has to offer and would rather live wildly in the desert. It isn't that they dislike you personally, they just don't trust us. They only trust Yugi because he was born here and still understands them; that's why he could find them. He's still a child of the desert, just like he said."

"I know," I say and watch Yugi smile while talking to the others. He is finally truly home, and I wonder how hard it will be for him to leave again; but I know he will because he would miss Atemu too much to stay with his friends here.


	7. Home

**Home**

_**Yugi's POV**_

I can't believe it; it's still the same here with the others to sit around the fire and tell each other stories. I have many new stories that I learned in my time at court and tell them about my life there, and the nice garden that is like a little oasis but not nearly as perfect like an oasis is in it's natural way. The garden is too planned, too unnatural, but better then nothing. They've heard from Gramps that I haven't changed at court and still love the desert and consider it my true home. That's the only reason they still trust me and I know that. I'm glad that Joey and Seto seem to understand and stay a little ways away from me while we're here. I will need to talk to them later though.

I think I know where the slave traders might take my grandfather, but I still hope to find an old friend of mine in Merimda. It's very likely that the traders passed this city and maybe sold some slaves here already, and there is one person who will know for sure if that is the case. He's an old friend of mine, the only problem is that he might be in another city again already. Tristan had mentioned in Giza that he was going for Merimda the last time he saw him, and I hope that he is still there. He is travelling from city to city to rip off people, and is great at it,and he has his ears everywhere.

But for now I walk over to Seto and Joey, they're still with the twins a little further away. "Hey guys. I need to talk to someone in Merimda tomorrow if I can find him. I guess I know where to search for Gramps, but I can't be sure until I find him. But for tonight we can stay with the tribe, you four as well."

"Thanks Yugi," Joey says with a smile while Seto looks weary.

"By the way I mentioned that Mana and Aknamkanon have no idea about the dessert, and the people that watch out tonight will keep an eye on them too so you both can sleep through the night again. I know you haven't for a while."

"Yugi," I hear Jaden and turn around to look at the boy. "I want to ask you something."

"What is it Jaden?" I ask and see him eyeing Joey and Seto sceptically and add, "Don't worry about them, just ask away."

"Can I come with you and find mummy?" he asks. "Tèa said that Mana and Aknamkanon need to be watched more than I, and I could help with that. I could sleep in their tent and make sure nothing happens. I know the desert just as well as you do, and I want to help mummy."

"That is a bad idea," I hear Seto say and notice his glare at the poor child. I'm impressed though that Jaden isn't faltering under that glare at all. It's like he doesn't even notice the glare. "He will just slow us down further."

"Look who's talking," the child says and looks right at Seto. "I bet I'm faster then you, slow poke, and unlike you I wouldn't get lost."

"How dare you!" Seto nearly roars, and I'm glad to see that Joey is holding onto one of his arms and whispers something to him. He must be trying to calm the proud man.

"It is only true," Jaden says. "I bet you're the kind that has to waste time by looking at some stupid map because you don't know my desert, while Yugi and I only need the desert sand and the desert wind to tell us where to go. They're the true mother and father of a child of the desert, but you wouldn't get that."

"Jaden, please stop," I say, fearing what Seto will do to the poor child. "High priest Seto is very strong so you better behave. And now listen, we already have two children with us and Seto is just afraid that another child will slow us down; and even though you won't slow us, we will need to carry more food and water and that will slow us. You aren't as strong as Joey and Seto are and might get endangered if we run into some trouble, and Joey and Seto already have to protect me and the twins so they won't be able to keep you safe too."

"Why? Is the little guy too weak for that?" Jaden asks me and points at Seto, and now Joey has to really hold on to him to stop him from taking his rod into his hand.

"Jaden, please apologize right now," I say and hope he will. Seto's temper is fearful and Jaden doesn't have a pharaoh for a husband like I have, so he better not infuriate Seto any further. Seto is already mad at me and would probably love to find some poor guy to let his anger out on.

"Why? I only asked something," Jaden says.

"Jaden, listen, I have a great idea," Joey says, and I hope it will calm Seto a little. "How about you prove yourself by keeping an eye on the twins 'til we're packed up and then we'll decide depending on your performance. Okay?"

"Fine, I'll go and bring them to a tent," he says as he takes one hand of each of the children. "Come with me you two. I'll show you where you can sleep," he says and runs off with them.

"I hope this will go well," Seto says.

"I doubt it," Joey says coolly. "But I have my necklace and can get there if need be, and I guess then he'll have to understand that he has to stay."

"I really hope this works because if he keeps pushing me I'll shut him up, permanently," Seto says, still upset and sets up their tent.

I decided I would go to some of my old friends because I want to talk to Tèa, maybe she can talk some sense into the boy since she always had a way with the little ones. I just hope that she doesn't still have a bit of a thing for our dear pharaoh like she used to ever since she saw him as a child at a market. She'll hate me for being his husband if she still loves him but maybe she'll still help me, after all we grew up like siblings. She was my annoying sister, and I the wimpy brother who was to be avoided at all costs. I love her anyway, though we never did much together.

I say goodnight to Joey and Seto, and go to find her and talk her into talking to Jaden.

A little later I know that it was much easier than I thought it would be. She is already married and happy with her husband, looking after Jaden with him since his mother is gone and obviously doesn't want Jaden to go out and risk his life with us. After that I go into a tent and cry myself to sleep, like every night without my Atemu. I wonder what he might be doing now that he's all alone in his bed, well hopefully anyway. He still has all his bed slaves since he hates slavery and doesn't want to risk them getting a bad master, but I doubt that any of them are with him now. They never are when I'm in the palace, but I still fear it a little. But most of all I miss him… I wish he could be with me right now; I long to feel his strong and protective arms around me.

Like every night, I dream of my dreamy and perfect husband and I'm disappointed when I wake up and can't see him anymore. I slowly get up after crying a little again. I'm still a cry baby but I'm happy that I managed to stand up against Seto. It sure wasn't easy, especially since he really is scary, and I don't get how someone as little as Jaden can talk to him like he did last night.

I walk out of the tent and see that everyone is staring at the twins close to the dying fire. I see that Mana is staring at Jaden like she usually does at Joey. I watch Jaden walk over to the twins, absolutely cool, and take a little knife out of the sand. He holds it into her direction and says, "You never play with those. They're dangerous." I see that there's a dead scorpion pierced up on the knife and watch Jaden turn to Seto and Joey, who were standing a bit further away. "Told you I could keep an eye on them. Now you have to take me."

I stare at Seto who looks like he wants to kill someone but he looks at Joey with his death glare, probably because he said that they could give Jaden a chance not believing that he could do it. But Joey looks strangely cool and calm like he had been expecting this, and I wonder if he had seen it in a vision.

"Not bad kid, but did you think that she could have moved her hand? You could have hurt her just as easy, so that wasn't such a good idea," Joey says. "I think that wasn't thought through at all. You could have hurt her, and I think that we shouldn't take you because of that."

Now I get why he is so calm, he must have known it. By the way Seto looks at him he must have figured that out as well and is not happy that he didn't know himself beforehand. He obviously didn't like it when Joey kept something like this from him.

"But I saved that little boy," Jaden insists.

"Yes, but I could have done it too since I knew this would happen since last night, and I wouldn't need to throw a knife in the direction of a four year old girl and risk hurting her. And save your energy. I know that you want to throw that knife to loosen my cartouche from my neck to prove that you don't miss, but let me tell you, I can hold still but a four year old doesn't always do the same," Joey explains and I see Seto move in front of Joey, who just adds, "Calm down, he really is good in this and wouldn't miss."

"You're mean," Jaden says "You knew all this and still let me hope."

"Would you have stayed if I told you last night?" Joey asks with a smile.

"No," Jaden admits and looks upset.

"Listen boy, I swear that I will find your mummy and she will come back to you, but we'll be faster and more efficient if you stay so if you want to help your mummy you need to stay here. Promise me to be good," Joey says.

"Never," Jaden says and stomps away. He still is upset and I bet he's going to try to follow us, but Joey would probably know that too and stop him… I hope anyway.

Seto starts packing now that Jaden is gone but still looks angry at Joey. He probably didn't like to hear about a knife flying by Joey's neck close enough to cut the necklace that held his cartouche. I know that I wouldn't like it, especially since Jaden is only 8 years old; he could always miss. So I assume that Seto is even more worried about Joey's safety than I am, considering that they're married.

Joey takes Seto's hand and whispers something to Seto and I see him calm a little and hold on to Joey. Their relationship is different than the one I have with Atemu, but I bet they're just as close. And they know each other very well, which might be the reason that Seto worries so much. Joey would always do anything he can to save his friends and family and even risk his own life without a second thought. His love truly is limitless while Seto would only go that far for Mokuba, and of course Joey. Even the twins aren't important enough for him to risk his life without thinking about it.

I saw proof of that when I told him that Mana had pushed Aknamkanon into the Nile and that there were crocodiles. He had stayed calm and simply asked where Joey was. The second I said that he was trying to get Aknamkanon out he ran like his own life depended on getting Joey back out. It was the same way he rode to the market when Joey was facing his father all by himself. I bet that the only thing Seto truly fears is losing Joey one day, especially since Joey can be a little reckless.

Once Seto and Joey are done packing we five ride into the city and I look around the market, hoping all the time that the one person I need to talk to is here. Luckily I don't need to look for long before I see him standing in the crowd. Seto is buying some food to get us to the next city when I see my old friend. I try to sneak off but Joey notices and I whisper to him, "I need to talk to someone, but he won't talk if he sees you with me."

"Fine," he whispers back. "But stay in sight or I come after you. Seto will kill me if I give Atemu a reason to kill me."

I chuckle a little. Like Seto could ever kill him. The worst Seto would do is lock Joey away in his room for his own protection, which would definitely be worse to Joey since he hates it when Seto gets overprotective. I walk over to my friend who is trying to rip off some people with a game of his. Three little colored stones under three cups, and then he moves them around and they have to find the right colored stone. He says the color, and I bet he is cheating somehow because I've never seen anyone win in that game. But he is so fast with moving the cups that they never are truly sure and believe to be wrong anyway. It is really hard to keep them all in check.

I walk over and say, "Hey Duke, how are things?"

"Perfect, your highness," he says, and I'm not surprised that he knows that I married Atemu since I last saw him. He truly has his eyes and ears everywhere. "I knew you'd be stopping by soon."

"How?" I ask, and I'm sure he knows already what I want to know.

"I saw something that will interest you greatly," he says and smiles at me after looking over all of the jewels that I'm wearing today. I should have remembered to get rid of some because I bet I've lost them all in a few minutes. "I'm just not sure if I remember the details." I knew he would say that and give a sigh as I pass the smallest ring to him to see if the news is really about what I hope it is. He looks at it and then says, "Your Gramps wanted me to say hi to you."

"When was it and who was with him?" I ask but already know that it is basically hopeless. I eye Joey once, he is watching and frowning, and I just hope he won't interfere and scare Duke away. Cheating is against the pharaoh's law and if someone finds proof he'll get in trouble, and that's why he will never talk openly to anyone who might get him into too much trouble. I bet he only talks to me because he only sees me as the pharaoh's pretty little toy that he just likes a lot, but he clearly doesn't see me as a threat. I'm not surprised; I'm much too small and weak to be a threat to anyone, and Duke is slender but tall and can get through the smallest places since he can move his body perfectly.

"I'm not sure," he says and holds his hand open, and with another sigh I put in another ring. It's always better to start with the smaller things since he might stop talking if the ring is too little and I have nothing left that he truly wants. This way he will slowly feed me information's 'til he has what he wants, and that is always the most valuable thing I have. "Oh yeah I remember. He was with some slave traders." I give another sigh, this is going to take a while, and I just hope that Joey can keep Seto away from here.

I'm just about to pass him another ring when I hear Joey behind me. "I hear you have an interesting game there. I want to try."

"I'm busy," he says but looks at Joey's millenniums necklace and the diaDhank he's wearing.

"Oh but I really want to, and I'm sure you don't want to see me upset." I watch Joey; he looks threatening and I'm sure that Duke is as good as gone. "Don't think about running. I know that you have a way through that little way over there, and I know where you run from there already." I see Joey point to the same place where Duke had eyed for a second, probably thinking about his way out.

"Fine. One game but then you leave," Duke says and Joey just smiles.

I watch how Duke lifts all cups once, fast to show Joey what color is under what cup, but instead of looking to the game Joey just looks into Dukes eyes. "You never see them if you don't look," Duke points out.

Joey just smiles and says, "Don't worry. I'm the luckiest guy alive, so I'm sure I'll guess right. Go ahead."

I watch how Duke mixes them, looking into Joey's stare with his own green eyes every now and then. Usually Duke watches the person as closely as Joey watches him but Joey's stare seems to unsettle him a little. "Okay. Now tell me where the red one is."

"Easy," Joey says with a smile and moves his hand slowly to point at one of the cups without even looking at them.

I see Duke's eyes fixating on Joey, now staring right back until Joey suddenly grabs his hand and presses his fingernails into his wrist. Duke opens his hand under the pressure and in it was a red stone. I knew he was cheating.

Joey uses his other arm to throw the cups over and says, "Would you look at that. I found the stone. Just strange that there is only blue, yellow and another blue one under the cups. Isn't that cheating?" I see Duke's face pale since he was already trapped in Joey's grip. He tried to pull free but Joey managed to hold on to him. I turn around and see Seto watch the whole thing from a distance and wonder why he isn't coming. Joey must have told him to watch from there for some reason. "Now I could send you to the shadows but I'll give you one chance to make up for all the bad things you've done. So tell me, what do you have to offer on that account?"

I stare at Joey and hope that this will work as well as bribing Duke with my jewels. "Okay. I have a great idea." I see Duke eye the millennium necklace once more before he too looks around and sees Seto standing further away, noticing the rod with his eyes as well. "I bet he's sometimes boring, so how about I spend some time with you honey? I love tough guys."

"Oh that was a mistake," Joey says. "Would you like me to tell Seto that? Because then you'll be begging me to send you to the shadows for the rest of your really long life."

I see all the color drain from Dukes face. "Okay. What do you want?" he asks.

"I want you to answer every last one of Yugi's questions and return his rings," Joey says.

"Deal," Duke says "The group of slave traders currently has five members and they had two cages for slaves, which were nearly empty at the moment. They always travel from Pelusium* along the Nile river, from there to inb-hD and then along the more western rivers of the Nile to Alexandria*. I guess they'll be in Zau* in a few days time. It wasn't so long ago and they always take a few detours to look for tribes. They also bought some crooks from the prison here to resell them for a higher price."

"Why Zau?" I ask. "Wouldn't it be better to travel along the river?"

"Yes for you, but there are no settlements," Duke explains. "Nothing to trade and get food for the slaves or sale some of them."

"Okay. Thanks for your help Duke," I say and ask Joey to let go of Duke.

"Sorry for hurting you, but I don't like it when someone is bulling Yugi," Joey says with a smile "And about the cheating I hope I won't catch you again because I will tell Seto your offer then, and you don't want that."

I see Duke look over to Seto who has been glaring at him ever since Joey needed to hold on to him and Duke looked a little flirtatious towards Joey while making the little offer. Seto clearly didn't like that.

But at least I have a chance to reach Alexandria before the slave traders since I know a short cut. I just hope it will work since the waterholes along that way are even less stable than the other one and we might need to make a detour to the river. It might actually be faster to stick with it from the start, and we can at least leave Zau to our east and travel along the Nile arm that goes to Alexandria, but if the waterholes are fine we'll definitely beat the traders.

* * *

><p>* <strong>Pelusium<strong> is an old City that was at the most eastern part of the Nile Delta (the area where the Nile was spread out into smaller rivers and went into the sea.) But the part of the river dried out later and with that the people there had to leave the city.

* **Alexandria** wasn't founded under that name until long after this story takes place but it has been proven that there was a city before (leading back to around about 3000 B.C. making it fitting for the time this story is in.) just no one even knows what culture lived there. It could have been Egyptian or maybe Greek or something entirely different, but for this story I made it Egyptian, but since no one even knew it was there for a long time no one knows the original name either. To make it easier I just use the modern name instead of making one up.

* **Zau** is known as Sais now and was located east of the river arm that is leading to Rosetta. It is much further east then Alexandria and only about halfway between Merimda and the coast. Later there was a small city, and even later a Greek city further west on the river that is closer to Alexandria but the oldest findings I found out about where much later.

* * *

><p>Authors note: Thanks to dancing elf for the review.<p>

And who belives that Jaden will listen and stay home? Well you find out what he'll do in the next chapter.


	8. Journey

**Journey**

**_Joey POV_**

I really don't understand why Yugi loves his dessert so much since the wind is so hot and dry. When the sun is at it's peak, the air is so hot that you can hardly bear it and there is nothing to offer you any shade. Even the wind isn't refreshing, the air is far to hot and dry for that, and only feels like it's about to burn you.

Yugi managed to talk Seto into taking the short cut to Alexandria and leave the bank of the Nile further away than even the last time. It is harder this way because there is nothing to offer shade around us anymore, and it's a bit more dangerous because the holy river with it's life giving water is out of our reach by more then a day's ride, at least when the kids are with us. The tribe only used this way when they were in a hurry, which wasn't often, but Yugi said that at this time of the year there shouldn't be a problem.

We can take enough water at each waterhole to reach water even if one was dry or poisoned with salt or other minerals. If two were poisoned or dry we will have a problem though, but Yugi was sure that he could find another place where we can find water. Even Seto agreed that it would be our best bet to reach Alexandria in time. There is a small harbor there and if the slaves are sold to a ship they will be lost forever. There is no way to follow them once they're on the water.

We've been on the horses for a few day's now, and so far all the waterholes are fine. The kids are still a handful, but as long as Seto and I take shifts to stay awake everything should be fine. Yugi offered to take a shift too, and I guess he wants to be a help to us because we wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him, but neither Seto nor I want to take that offer. He might know the desert but he has no idea on how to fight, and he is so occupied with missing his Pharaoh Atemu that he might miss something. I feel much safer when Seto or I are keeping an eye on things.

Of course I can't tell Yugi that and only insist that Atemu wouldn't want him to have to stay awake, and that we're here for his protection and not the other way around. A couple of nights Yugi stayed up with me though, unable to sleep anyway and needing a bit of distraction from his thoughts about what Atemu might be doing at the moment.

I can understand it all too well. I had to miss Seto a few times already because Seto was out on a mission while I needed to stay at the palace, and I truly hate those times. I always miss Seto when he is gone and wait for him at the stables when he's due to return. I always want to be the first to welcome him back, and I'm always rewarded with a warm smile and a gentle kiss from my beloved husband.

I'm still sitting at the fire when I have a vision and smile. The waterhole we're headed to for the next night will be dry, but that isn't a problem. It just moved a little and while Yugi is trying to find out where it is someone will show up and tell him that he used to be faster with that. The vision ends and I notice that Yugi is once more joining me at the fire. "Did you notice?" I ask him.

"What do you mean?" Yugi asks.

"Our little shadow?" I ask and smile.

"Yeah," Yugi admits. "But it's too late to send him back, and I fear what Seto will do when he finds out. I don't think he likes Jaden very much."

"I think he does," I say, remembering the look in his eyes. "He just hides such things well, mostly anyway."

"He didn't with you," Yugi says and smiles at me.

"Of course he didn't," I say proudly with a grin. "I'm special." I grin at Yugi, knowing that it is true at least to Seto that I truly am special just like he is too me. "But more importantly, what are we going to do with our little shadow?"

"I don't know," Yugi says. "You think we should tell Seto and let him come with us? He'll follow anyway."

"I bet he will," I say. "We can just wait and pretend not to know anything until he shows up tomorrow."

"He will?" Yugi asks.

"Yeah. The waterhole has moved and you'll need to find it and he'll complain, saying that you got slow and lost some of your ability to find it," I say and see that Yugi doesn't like to hear that. "I think he only uses that to get to talk to us," I add to comfort Yugi. "He must be lonely silently following us all by himself and worrying about his mother the whole time."

"I think he is," Yugi agrees. "But he'd never say it out loud. He's too tough to show weakness."

We both smile and I ask, "So we wait?"

"We wait," Yugi agrees and I look at the tent of the twins, the mystery about their behavior never far from my mind. I love them both dearly; they're part of what little family I have found in this new life of mine after loosing both my beloved mother and father. I eye the tent I share with my husband and have to smile. He would turn into a furious dragon if he ever heard me call them my beloved mother and father. He'll never forgive them for what they did to me, even though I do.

I forgave both, first mother and then father as well. While I fought him I also forgave him. He was cruel and mean to me, and tortured me to the point that I wanted to end my life, but he is still my father and nothing he can do will ever change my love for him no matter how hard that might be to understand to Seto.

"Do you have any idea about the twins yet?" Yugi asks me. "I mean I never thought about it before I saw Mana push her brother into the water, but the way they hugged after that and the way she looked after that I fear that you're right and that something is wrong with her."

"I think it's with both. Aknamkanon is also a little different at times. He is still harmless but he is afraid of his sister. Either he senses when she changes or he changes too."

"He probably senses it," Yugi says. "I mean why should someone bother controlling both and then let one hurt the other?"

"I don't know," I admit. "But it is more than how he acts towards his sister. He also clings more to me whenever he and Mana aren't hugging."

"You think they're controlled when they're like one?" Yugi asked,obviously shocked and getting the point that it would also mean that Mana really wants to hurt her brother.

"No," I say. "I don't think so. The necklace showed them to me like one. It showed me my sister's children, not whatever will harm them in that moment. I wanted to see them and a happy life that I longed for. I think they're like one when they're themselves." At least I really hope so. I don't even want to think about what might happen if Mana truly would want to hurt her brother, but she is just a child and what child truly wants to hurt it's own brother? It just can't be that way, which means that they're both under control when she tries to hurt him. But why hurt the other if the same is controlling them? Are there maybe two persons that somehow control the little ones? But if yes, why are they doing it, and more importantly who is controlling them? And why are they doing it at the same time?

I see the doubt that rises in Yugi's eyes. I saw them older, and who knows, maybe whoever controls them has a tighter grip then and the necklace couldn't show them to me any other way anymore. But I really hope it isn't that way.

The next day is just like I predicted to Yugi. The waterhole is dry when we arrive but after a little breath Yugi says that there still must be a waterhole close by because he can smell it in the air, and I truly wonder if that is true. Is it even possible? But then again, Yugi does know the desert much better than I do, and he hadn't failed Seto or me on this journey so far. I just hope that he or Jaden truly will find the water. I only saw him try to find it and then point us to the right way and Jaden making fun of him for taking so long, but I never saw the water there.

It doesn't take long at all until Yugi say that the water must be just a few meters to the northeast and then I hear the laughter and see Seto turn his hand to the direction of the sound, already touching the hilt of his millenniums rod. "You truly became a little queen, didn't you Yug?" Jaden shouted to us from above a dune, holding his belly and shaking with laughter. I don't need to look to know because I saw that scene in my vision, so I watch Seto's reaction instead and see the anger on his face.

He doesn't like disobedience and I'm rather sure that Mokuba and me are the only ones to ever have gotten away after disobeying him. Well and Yugi, after getting married to Atemu, is getting away with ripping his map and so on but only because Seto's hands are tied. But I also see the concern he probably has for the young boy who followed us so recklessly into the danger, as well as the concern for the rest of us. Now we'll need more water and food supplies and it will be more dangerous. From the distance between the waterholes Yugi had told us about, we can only risk one dry waterhole as it is but with an extra mouth to feed one dry waterhole might already be too much and someone might not survive.

"What are you doing here you insolent child?" Seto asked sounding furious.

"I'm just making sure that you don't mess up saving my mother," the boy answers, unafraid, and I put a hand on my husbands arm to calm him.

"The only one messing up anything here is you!" Seto says and glares at the young child.

"Calm down, please," I say quietly. "He's only a child and afraid to lose his mother. Please try to understand."

"I understand that he wants to help but he isn't helping," Seto says, still angry "He is only endangering us. What if a waterhole is dry or poisoned? We won't have enough supplies for all of us!"

"He is a child Seto," I say, trying to reason with him. "He probably doesn't understand that. He is just afraid and wants to help so badly, and anyway there is no way that we can just leave him behind here and we don't have the time to bring him to a safe place. We have to go on to Alexandria or we'll miss the traders, so there is no point in arguing with the child."

"Why can't we just leave him behind?" Seto asks. "He means nothing to me and is only endangering our mission."

"He is a child, Seto!" I say. "And a friend of Atemu's husband, Yugi, who just happens to be my best friend. We will not leave the boy behind, and that is my last word!"

I see that he doesn't like to hear me talking back, especially since it means risking all our lives, mine included. He glares at me in his anger, which he rarely does. I saw him glare like this towards others, but I can't remember him looking this angry at me. "Don't glare at me just because I won't leave behind an innocent, defenseless child."

"He isn't defenseless," Seto says. "He wanted to cut the cord of your cartouche by throwing a knife."

"You got that right," Jaden says looking upset and angry about something. "I can defend myself and I managed to follow you two, oh so great high priest, without letting you know it and I survived on my own. How do you two idiots think I did that if I can't carry my own water supplies and defend myself? I don't need you. I only needed you to find out where to look for mummy, but I can get to Alexandria on my own."

I watched him turn around and walk away into an, to me, unknown direction. I wasn't sure it was the right direction or if he could really survive on his own, but I still didn't want to leave a child alone in the desert. "But you can't fight the slave traders," I point out, hoping that he'll stay.

"But I might be able to sneak past them," Jaden says. "I'm small, fast, and can open any lock."

"How come you know that?" Seto asks. "How much have you stolen to find that out?"

"I never said I stole," Jaden answers with a cheeky grin. "I only said I can open locks and who's to say that I don't do that as a challenge without stealing? Try to prove the difference."

"Stop fighting, all of you," Yugi says, and I look over to see him look at us with an upset look. "Can't you just all get along? I mean we have the same goal and can all benefit from each other. Seto, please, he really knows the desert well, as good as I and maybe even better because I haven't been in my desert for years. He might know more about the waterholes and where they are now and, Jaden, you are a defenseless child, at least compared to those two. You wouldn't have the slightest hope to win against either one of them, never mind both of them, and you can't win against slave traders that are sure to watch out so that no one will try to steal or free the slaves. You must be able to see that, so stop provoking Seto."

"Fine, as long as he won't cause any problems, he can stay," Seto says and glares at the child.

"Fine, as long as they stop treating me like a baby, I'll stay," Jaden says and walks over to Aknamkanon, who is sitting by the water, and draws little pictures into the sand.

Seto walks away to ready the tents for the night while I start making a fire.

* * *

><p>Authors note: Thanks to dancing elf for the review.<p>

And if you haven't read 'Beloved slave' yet, I strongly advise you to do so before you start the next chapter or you might have a hard time understanding the twins secret, and it will be revealed in the next chapter!


	9. Fight

**Fight**

_**Joey's POV**_

I feel Yugi watching me and Seto while I get some firewood from the small tree that is close to the waterhole. I look over at Seto every now and then while he readies the tents for the night. I know that I shouldn't have fought with him and that it hurts Seto that I once again put someone else's well being over my own, but I can hardly let a little child die just to have it safer.

I know that Seto would protect the innocent little boy if it was only his life at risk too. Even if everyone else here would be there, apart from me, and I really don't want him to make such a difference even though I understand it. But I want Jaden to stay even though it puts Seto in as much danger as it does with me because I trust Yugi to lead us safely from one waterhole to the next, and that was the difference. Seto never trusts anyone but himself, not even me.

But even though I'm mad at him, I still long for his arms to hold me and his hands to touch me. I hate fighting with him as much as I love to fight with him a little when it isn't serious; it's more like a lovers quarrel while this feels much more serious. I know that he won't give in and I can't, not while we're here and I have a bad feeling. I keep seeing strange things that I don't understand yet. I know that the necklace is trying to show me something, but I don't get the meaning of it yet. All I know is that I might not be able to make up with him at all, but I really hope that I'm wrong.

Once the fire is done I sit down close to it and it doesn't take long for Yugi to sit next to me. He probably knows that I'm down without Seto. Aknamkanon is also with us and cuddled against me.

"You aren't going to fight with Seto for too long are you?" Yugi asks, and I see on his face that he doesn't doubt it even though I'm not sure if I'll get a chance to ever make up. Because even though I don't understand it all, I did see my dragon with a big piece of wood, that must be from a cage, in his chest standing next to me and I know that I have to prevent it from happening someway but so far I don't even know how it came to happen.

"Of course I'm not," I say with a smile in the hopes that it will comfort my friend. "But it was the only way to have Jaden with us. He won't risk angering me further by sending the child away since we're already fighting."

"Are you sure?" he asks, and I see that he doubts the truth of my words.

"Sure I'm sure," I say and smile at him just like he is smiling towards me. I'm really happy that I have him as a friend and don't want to worry him.

It seems like an eternity now since the both of us were nothing but bed slaves and belonged to two different guys, and I know that by now Yugi is at a much higher position than I'm in even though I'm not a slave anymore. But he still is the best friend I could ever have hoped to get.

"Jaden shouldn't play with him," Aknamkanon suddenly says to my surprise and I look at him.

"Don't worry. Jaden can mind himself and nothing will happen if he plays with _her_," Yugi says and emphasizes the 'her' in the sentence because he probably thinks that Aknamkanon accidentally said 'him' instead of 'her', but I wonder if that is the case.

Aknamkanon blushes and mumbles, "But Jaden doesn't know what he's capable of."

I look at him and wonder why he made the same mistake again. He does that quite often, but until now I never thought much about it. I don't know if it is because I recently notice that he seems more mature when he might be controlled but I can't help but wonder if it has something to do with that. Maybe he knows who is controlling Mana and that person is a guy. I make a small movement of my hand to stop Yugi from correcting the boy again.

"What is he capable of?" I ask and hope that he will give me another hint to this puzzle. He gives me one after the other very slowly. He does the same with whatever he might have done and was sorry for now.

"You should know better than most," Aknamkanon says and I look at him in surprise. I see the boy look at me, but not really in the eyes, and then I notice where he looks at and suddenly I know what he is sorry for, or rather _she_. Aknamkanon looks at the scar on my stomach, the one I got from my mother, and there is only one 'he' who tortured me and my mother so badly that the sentence Aknamkanon said makes sense. It isn't a person who controls the twins, and there aren't two persons to do so either. They're possessed by two ghosts that are connected to each other, as well as to the children and to me.

"You were wrong," I still mumble. "I love you even after what you did… I never stopped. You should know that. Didn't Seto tell you?"

I notice from the corner of my eyes the confused and concerned look on Yugi's face, and I feel that I paled considerably when I noticed who is in front of me and possessing my nephew this very moment. "Listen, we need to keep this a secret though, Seto isn't going to like this at all and I don't even want to imagine what he'll do when he figures this out."

"Shadi will find out and he'll tell, won't he?" Aknamkanon asks.

"Yeah, he will, but I'll think of something. I promise I won't let anyone hurt you," I say and I know that Yugi must be really confused right now, but I don't have the time to talk to him. Mana, or rather the ghost of my father, is close to an innocent child and I know all too well what father did to me when I was a child and understand the worries of my mother's ghost inside of Aknamkanon. "And don't worry, I'll talk to him and won't let anyone hurt you. I **can** protect you," I say to her to make her feel better. He is in the body of a child, a girl's body nevertheless, and not a strong man like he once was and I fought and won against him back then. His monster has also been sealed away, so I doubt that he can still use it.

"I know," Aknamkanon says, but still looks upset. "I'm sorry for what I did… I really am now that I know you better."

"Can you tell me why?" I ask, hopping that it will help me when I try to talk to him. I need him to come to his senses and I need to find a way to make both of their ghosts move on to the next life and leave the children. I can't let them be possessed forever. "I mean why are you two possessing your own grandchildren?"

I see Yugi pale considerably now and he even moves away reflexively. I know that he's terrified of my father and still has nightmares about him every now and then, and that he also still fears my mother and finds it especially bad that both didn't only try to kill someone, but they tried to kill their own flesh and blood, which is a terrible thing to do. Even slave children aren't forced to do anything while they're still as young as I was when it started. Children shouldn't work too much or too hard and are protected.

"I was afraid. Of the underworld and all I wanted was to hide, but so did he once he died. He hunted me all the time and I was so afraid to be hunted by him again and I found the twins and was able to hide for a while in Aknamkanon without him notice me, and you were there and protected me, which was so strange after all that happened and what I did but then he came and yet you protected me. I can't hold on all the time, but he tortures me. I'm not sure how but I feel such a terrible pain and loneliness whenever his soul gets close to me when I'm not here and have you to keep me safe. I'm sorry, but I don't know what I can do. I'm scared of leaving," Aknamkanon says and I start to understand.

If I can get my father to stop hurting my mother this won't be necessary, and maybe both can move on and have a better life in the underworld. Maybe Osiris will understand that they're scared and had a bad life, but aren't evil at heart.

"SETO!" I hear Yugi scream and I stare at him.

He can't tell Seto or everything will be over! He'll scare both of my parents, after all he sort of is responsible for both of their deaths.

"No, please, Yugi you can't tell him!" I beg quickly and look at him, terrified, while Seto runs over upon hearing the fear in Yugi's voice. "Please, Yugi, let me figure this out first. I need to talk to him. I need to try and help him, please."

"You can't help him," Aknamkanon says, and I know that Yugi is going to agree but I don't really have the time to fight with him.

"I can," I insist. "Remember at the fire? He's scared of dying just like she is, but he doesn't believe he has another chance. I need to give him hope. He never had any hope to get a better life; he was always depressed and down. Give me a chance. I understand him… I'm the only one to understand him."

I watch Yugi, who just watches me. I know that he wants to talk to Seto to stop me from talking to my father's ghost and just wants to get rid of them, but I'm sure that this is the only way that can be done without harming them and I'm the only one who can do it. Even though I also know that Seto will be upset that I'm keeping this from him, but he'll only worry about me pointlessly. My father is currently a ghost who doesn't seem to be able to interfere with our life very much unless he possesses someone, and he possesses a four year old girl. He can't hurt me, not now that I know what he might be capable of.

"What is going on?" Seto asks, taking in the atmosphere once he's there.

"Nothing," I say, and I pray to all the gods that Yugi won't tell Seto the truth. He must have gotten it right after what he heard us talking about, and I wish I'd been alone with Aknamkanon.

"Joey, please," Yugi says, obviously hoping to persuade me to tell Seto the truth. "You have to tell him."

"It's nothing," I say, uncertain of myself. I know that Seto would want to know this, and I understand why he wants to know this, but I still fear for the souls of my parents and I'm the only one who can help them. "But you can look after Aknamkanon for a moment. I need to talk to Mana," I add with a smile at Seto, and then look at Yugi "One chance, Yugi. Just give me one chance."

I walk over to where Jaden and Mana are playing with each other, and pray to all the gods I know to keep Yugi's mouth shut at least until I had a chance of talking to him. Once there, I ask Jaden to go over to Yugi because I needed to talk to Mana.

Once he is moving away I sit down close to the child and look into the face of my little niece. I see hate, but also fear, in those young features, mostly hate though. I watch her face grow more and more angry while I simply look. "What do you want from me?" the voice of the little girl asks me, and I know that it is my father who is speaking to me again even though the voice and the looks are that of a four year old girl.

It is strange but I'm still happy to have one more chance to make up with my parents. I always wished to be able to help them both, and now I have that wish. I wonder if Anubis is letting their souls roam the world of the living a little longer for my benefit; this god who did so much for me in my life that I thank him in a silent prayer. "Stop staring at me," he says again and I smile a little.

"Sorry, but I just find it hard to believe that I really am in front of you again, father," I say and see his face grow pale.

I watch his face change more into fear than hatred and wonder if it's because I was the one to defeat him. I wasn't involved in sealing his monster and killing him in the process, but I was the one responsible for his capture. And now he is a defenseless child and I'm the grown man, and he must know that I could easily do the same things he did to me now. I watch him turn to run, but I was expecting it ever since his face paled, and I grab the slender arm of my nice softly. I pull the small figure close to myself and just hold the body that holds my father's soul and whisper, "I'm sorry for everything… I'm sorry for leaving you and going to Seto… I'm sorry for being too weak to help you when you couldn't cope with the guards… But most of all I'm sorry that I couldn't show you how much I always loved you, father, no matter what you did," I say this slowly to give him time to absorb what I said to make him feel safer.

"You don't mean it," I hear the shivering little voice. "You can't love me. I couldn't love me after that, and I don't care either. No one ever loved me. No one ever will and I don't need anyone to love me anyway."

"But I do," I say, remembering how alone he must have been. My mother's parents were both slaves, like it was with most people there. I never thought much about it and always looked at father like it was the same for him, but after finding out about Yugi's story long after I married Seto I did some research and found out that he wasn't born a slave, and he wasn't a nomad either.

His father worked in inb-hD for a trader on the market, but he was poor and father had a younger brother who needed to be fed too. Once father was old enough to be sold as a slave his own parents had seen no other choice but to sell their eldest son. They didn't know how to keep both of them alive if they didn't. I don't even want to know how it must feel to be free and then get sold by your own parents, and he carried that pain around with him for years.

He was beaten by the guards and forced to do hard labor from a young age onwards. He always worked at the pyramids, having to climb into small passages and do work in them. I understood him even more once I found all that out. He just couldn't deal with all the darkness in his life. Maybe his shadow monster was once like my dragon but it was consumed by darkness, the same darkness that tried to consume me and maybe would have killed me if it hadn't been for Seto.

"You don't. No one ever wanted me, and no one ever cared," he says and struggles to get away, but less forceful than before.

"You're wrong," I say and hold the little body close to me. "I care, and I always will. I pray for both of my parents' souls every day at sunrise and sunset. I love you father, and if you hadn't threatened my little sister I would never have fought you. I would never have hurt you, father. I love you and I'm happy to have you back, and I'll do anything to give you another chance. I truly believe that Osiris can forgive you too. After all I did, and I'm the one who was hurt by you the most wasn't I?"

I still feel him fight me a little, but not nearly as strongly. I wonder if he is just resenting it or if he starts to hope that I really do still love him after everything that happened. "I understand you, father. I know how much the darkness around someone can hurt and how bad it can get, and I understand that you had to find a way to deal with it. I don't mind that letting it out on me was the only way for you to survive. I might not have done the same thing, but without Seto's love I couldn't have survived it. I wanted to die the day I met Seto, and longed for death for a long time. You were strong to fight that wish, and I understand that you had to find a way to cope to stay alive. I don't resent you for it, father. I understand that it's hard to believe, but let me show you how it is to have some light in your life."

I feel his arms rest at his side and say one more time, "I love you, father ,and I'll protect you, I'll keep the darkness away from you." And then I feel his arms move around my neck and hear the soft little voice cry quiet sobs, and feel the little figure shiver under those as well as the warm tears that start to drop on my shoulder and run down my skin. I try to ease the pain a little by still holding on gently and rocking the little body in my arms a little while whispering, "I love you, and I'll protect you as well as I can. I promise", into the small ear and I wonder for how long he had this sadness inside himself and how much it must have hurt him. It still was wrong what he did, but I understand that everything that happened to him was simply too much.

It takes a long time before he calms a little. "You don't mean to hurt mother now do you? But she feels your pain whenever she's close to you, doesn't she?" I ask him.

"I can't stay away," he confesses to me with tears still on that small face. "Being with the person that once loved me enough to marry me eases my pain, and I feel a little better."

"I understand," I say. "I'll try and help you two, but you have to promise that once you can bare it you'll leave my niece's body. Your granddaughter needs to have control over her life, and in return I promise that I will never stop to think of you and love you for as long as I live and long after that."

The moment I promise this I see another of these confusing visions. I see myself in a strange place with many huge and strange buildings like I've never seen them before. Even my skin looks strange and pale in that vision, but I'm not alone. My father is with me and smiles at me weakly, looking a bit like he had a little too much beer, but at least it doesn't look like he is about to hurt me. I wonder how that can ever be possible and what it means, but I don't say anything now and don't have the time to think of it too much. It makes me feel a lot better to know that he might one day be much better, even if not perfect. Maybe we'll both will have another chance at life one day, and have it a little better at least.

"I have one more question though," I say and hope to get an answer that I can work with and help him with. "Why are you trying to harm Aknamkanon when you're both possessing one of the twins?"

"I need to before he really gets hurt," he says and I look at him for a moment. I think I know what he means but want him to say more so I just look at him questioningly. "He lives like I did, with parents and a sibling and people that care. I don't want him to lose that light like I had to and like I know you did on the day your mother left. I saw the pain in your eyes, and I hated the gods for hurting you too. I know I did too probably more then anyone else. But I also knew that if anyone could keep some light in your life it was them, and I hated everyone for hurting you, myself included. I never want to see the same pain on the face of my grandson."

I smile at him, "It is different. His parents aren't poor and can feed both with ease. They'll be ruling all of Egypt, and they have me. I never stop loving someone, and I won't let the darkness ever reach him or her. I promise." I hope he believes me and stops trying to kill the boy just to save his soul from meeting the same fate he had in life.

I watch him for a moment and then have to ask a favor of him. "I promise that from now on I'll be your light, just like mother and Serenity were mine once upon a time and like Seto is my light now. I will light your world no matter how unbelievable that seems right now, just give me some time. But right now I need to talk to Seto and Yugi to give me a chance to help you. Trust me. I'll make them understand." And I hope I really can make them understand.

* * *

><p>Authors note: Thanks to <span>dancing elf<span> for the review.

Next chapter will be really sad but I'll probably upload the last one with it right away because I don't want to torture you with the wait for the happy end.


	10. Goodbye

**Goodbye**

_**Yugi POV**_

It's already dark and the kids are sleeping. Joey and Seto have been fighting for days now. Seto knows that something is going on since I called out for him, but I haven't told him. I don't know how Joey did it, but I saw him hug Mana and the child returned the hug; and ever since that time Mana has been clinging to Joey like her life depends on it. He deserves to have my trust with this now, and is my friend so I keep his secret, especially since Mana, or rather Joey's father, hasn't tried to hurt Aknamkanon since that day. Aknamkanon is still afraid of Mana though, and he is closer to me now, watching Joey with worry, but the ghost of Joey's mother seems to be afraid of what Seto's reaction will be when he finds out and doesn't tell him anything either. It's needless to say that we're travelling with a furious and really grumpy dragon these days.

I just hope that Joey will make up with him soon because he's getting really scary. But until Joey refuses to let him in on his little secret, Seto isn't going to make up with him. I can see though that it is troubling Joey too that they're having a fight. And I see him look at Seto with a longing, and sometimes it looks like he is about to tell him just to make up with him. At least we're nearly in Alexandria, and hopefully will be home soon after and then Joey will have to talk to them before Shadi is figuring it out and doing something about it.

I sneak out of my tent quietly, looking at the fire first to see if Joey is watching out for trouble tonight, and I have luck since he is there. I walk over to him and sit down next to him. I watch him stare into the fire, motionless, and then he smiles and whispers, "He's going to survive."

"What do you mean?" I ask, certain that he had another vision. Seto and I have both noticed that they were getting more frequent recently, and Seto worries that Joey is trying to see some danger for him and trying to find a way around it with out any success, but he refused to talk about it even to me so far.

"I saw Seto die in a vision a few days back," Joey says and looks sad. "I tried to find a way to stop that for days now and finally found a way to safe him, but he won't like it."

"Why not?" I ask, worried about what Joey is planning. Why should Seto not want to survive, unless of course it puts Joey in danger.

"You have to do me a favor Yugi," he says, giving me a sad look. "If I save him, and nothing is going to stop me from doing that because I'm the only one who will know when to do what because I'm the only one who saw it happen, I won't be able to see you two for a long time."

"Why?" I ask, happy that it does imply that I will see him again at some point. "Why should you have to leave?"

"Just tell him about Mana and Aknamkanon if they won't do it on their own, and tell him that I love him and always will no matter what happens, and that no matter how impossible it might seem I will see him again. I saw it happen," he says, and I wonder how long it will take.

"Will I see you again?" I ask because this time he only said that he will see Seto.

"Yeah, but I need to warn you," Joey says. "Don't try to return with Seto. He'll be too furious and probably not even want to return at all, and don't try to make him either. Go back to inb-hD with your Tribe and take the twins with you."

"What will happen Joey?" I ask one more time and see a sad look on Joey's face.

He gives a smile, but his eyes remain sad when he answers, "Just remember that we'll see each other again, and that I won't regret anything that is going to happen tomorrow, and that I regret nothing in my life. Most of all not that I jumped of the cliff the day Seto saved me. I will never regret a single day I spent with him."

I watch his sad looking face and hope that he'll be alright. "How long will you be gone?"

"Much too long," Joey says and I see the sadness increase. "Seto will have a really hard time, please try to help him through it. I can't see how bad it will get for him, so please try to help him."

"I'll try, but try to come back as soon as you can," I say and see that he really wants to be here.

"Sorry," he says. "This is out of my hands. I don't even know how long it will take, I just know that I'll be gone for a long time."

"We'll help him, I promise," I say to make him feel a little better. "I'll tell Atemu and we'll both help him until you're back."

"Thanks for trying," Joey says, but his voice is little more then a whisper. "But it's late and you'll have a hard day tomorrow. You should rest."

"One more question, will I get to save gramps?" I ask him the one question that has been in my head for days now.

I'm glad to see Joey smile for real this time. "Don't worry, nothing is going to take that guy down, he'll be fine and so will Jaden's mother. They took a short cut too, but we're there just in time."

"Thanks Joey," I say and smile at my friend "But promise me to be careful, okay."

"I'll do what I can," he says and smiles at me, the sad look back on his face, but he says nothing more to me.

I return to my tent and wish that Atemu was with me to talk to about my worries. I just hope that Joey really will be alright. It sort of felt like a good bye.

The next day we get ready to travel into the City. I go to Seto while Joey is packing his bag; I have to tell him that something is going on. "Please be careful today." I don't want to betray Joey by saying too much, he'd be devastated if I cause Seto's death that way.

"Why?" he asks and looks at me warily.

"Joey said something, I mean about those visions he's having, and you need to be careful. That's all I can tell you," I say and walk back to Joey before he can ask me anything else. Both twins are with Joey now and he talks to them and I see them hug him once I'm there. "You okay?" I ask Joey.

"I guess so," Joey says and smiles at me, the same sad looking smile he had the day before. "I just told them to stay close to you today and stick with you from then on, and that you'd try to protect their souls. I know you will do that for me, won't you."

"I'll do what I can," I answer him, still worrying about him.

"Once we're close to the market, stay a little away from us and hide. We'll have to fight a little," he says. "Leave it to us and watch the twins for me, please. Seto will fight once I've saved him, but try to keep the twins out of it. I fear you can't but try anyway."

I just nod and wonder what he is planning. I just remind myself again and again that he promised to return to us so he can't be risking his life, can he?

We ride towards the city and I fear that this will be the last ride with Joey for a very long time. Seto watches him very closely too. He must see the sadness on his face, and after what I said he must worry a lot too, and I just hope that he'll be careful and that Joey won't need to save him at all and can stay with us.

I get more and more nervous the closer we get to Alexandria. We can see the City close to noon, and I see the children stare to the sun reflecting off the water behind it. It isn't the first time that I see it because my tribe got close to the coast a few times in my childhood, but I know that it is the first time for Joey as well as the twins. Joey doesn't react as strongly as the twins though, and I hope that it is because he saw it in a vision and not that his worries are so strong that he can't be moved by that sight at all.

Once we reach the city Joey looks at me and then to the side of the road before he dismounts his horse. "What are you planning Joey?" Seto asks him and watches me ride to the side of the street before dismounting my horse together with Jaden; both twins walk over to me too.

"I'm just making sure that we can fight without them getting in the way," Joey says.

"I doubt that we really need to fight the traders. They must be afraid of us," Seto says, sure of himself because everyone in all of Egypt knows of the power of all the high priest; especially Seto's power. And the day he and Joey got married everyone started to wonder if those two could possibly overpower the pharaoh himself if they combine their powers. I know that Atemu is intrigued by that notion since even he isn't sure that he could win such a fight if it ever came to that, but he is sure that Seto would never betray him and Joey is my best friend and wouldn't betray me and my husband either.

"You know that I don't always see everything I want to see right?" Joey says and looks at Seto, who simply nods. "I didn't see what happens exactly, but I know that someone will attack us. You got a lot of people angry at you with your temper."

I watch them and wonder what will happen. I watch them go to the market and look for the traders. I'm still close and can hear them, but there are many people around and I doubt that many people notice me. I'm not wearing many jewels today, hoping that most people here don't know who I am and won't be able to guess it dressed like any other person that might live in this or a similar city throughout Egypt.

I see them reach the traders, and I see gramps there and smile he looks healthy enough; a little down maybe, but that was to be expected after being captured for so long. I can also see Jojo and hear Jaden mumble, "Mummy."

I hold his hand to make sure that he stays close too. "Help me watch the twins, Jaden. That's the best way to help your mother," I remind him. "Make sure that Joey and Seto can do what they need to do without worrying about me and the twins. That's the only thing you can do."

I see that he doesn't like it, but he doesn't try to run off on me right away. We watch Joey and Seto, and even the twins watch closely. I watch Aknamkanon take his sister's hand, and for a second assume that the two are themselves, but then I notice the surprised look on the girl's face. They aren't themselves, but Joey's mother needs the support from someone and the only people here are Jaden, me, and Mana, possessed by the ghost of Joey's father. And at some point she must have loved this man to marry him and have two children with him.

I see a tiny smile on Mana's face and see her hand move a tiny bit to squeeze the little hand that is holding onto his. "He'll be fine. He is stronger than I ever was," I hear the soft female voice whisper quietly.

I see them look at each other and wonder what else Joey can do with all the love and affection he has in his heart. He even got his parents to change and see the love in him and even get a long a little. I doubt the feelings are the same as on the day they married, but they are talking to each other again which is a huge difference from torturing and trying to kill one another.

"Free those slaves right away!" I hear Seto order.

"Why?" the trader asks. "We went through a great deal of trouble to require those slaves. They're ours to sell, and I want a reason to free them."

"How dare you even talk back to me. Do you not know who I am?" Seto asks, outraged. He is in a bad mood as it is and the trader better not provoke him or a fight will start for sure.

"You're high priest Seto, and I apologise if you find me rude, but I want to know on what grounds you order us to free the slaves. We have done nothing wrong, and even a high priest mustn't misuse his power," the trader says, sounding polite enough to me; and I hope that Seto's foul temper won't let him do something rash.

"Because the Pharaoh's husband wishes his grandfather and former tribe members to be safe and free," Seto says and throws them a little bag filled with gold. "The Pharaoh is putting them all under his protection. You may have that gold as a refund for the trouble you've gone through, but they're to be freed right away."

"Fine," one of the men says, moving to untie my gramps first before moving to Jojo, Jaden's mother.

I nearly let Jaden run to his mother, but hold onto him in the last second. I'm not sure why, but I notice Joey move one foot back and the other around to turn with two little steps with his back to Seto. Before I can warn Seto to be careful I see someone run for them, holding a big and sharpened piece of wood. Less than a second later I see that piece of wood inside of Joey's chest and stare.

I hear the twins scream out in agony after seeing Joey getting wounded so badly. I don't know why that man is attacking, but I assume that he was angered by Seto at some point. I see Seto turn around after hearing the twins scream, and see him stare at the scene there. I see him catch Joey, who begins to fall to the ground.

Before I can stop the twins they run out, and I see a light come from Aknamkanon and a dark shadow from Mana. Both go together above them and I watch a shadow monster being formed from it; a massive black and white dragon. The black half of the dragon has a wing that looks like it is made out of a leathery skin, very much like Seto's and Joey's dragons wings are, but the one on the white side looks like it has feathers.

I hear the twins talk together again, "Light and Darkness Dragon attack him." I watch the dragon attack the man and once the fire is gone there is nothing but ashes, and I pray to the gods that his ashes won't poison my desert now that he's forever united with the desert sand.

I run over to Seto and Joey and let go of Jaden, who follows me rather than running to his mother. "You promised you'll be back Joey, you promised! You can't die, do you hear me? You can't!" I scream to him while Seto just holds him silently, his face pale and clearly shocked.

"Sorry pal," Joey whispers to me and then looks at Seto with a smile. "I'm sorry Seto… I'm not as strong as you are. I couldn't watch you die and live without you. I'm sorry I have to leave you for so long, but I didn't lie to Yugi." His voice is getting weaker by the second while his life blood slowly, but steadily, runs out of him. I can see his skin pale more and more, and once he finishes that sentence he takes one breath and his face looks like it really hurts him to breathe. "I love you Seto,…I always…will…love…you." And then his eyes close and I watch Seto look at the body of his husband that suddenly lay limp and motionless in his arms; his breathing has stopped.

I watch Seto stare at him for a long time while my grandfather walks over to me to hold me and support me after loosing my very best friend. Jojo walks to her son and holds him close, but both of them are silent. The dragon that is still floating over our heads caused most people to run away as fast as they can.

"Unky Joey?" I hear the twins mumble after a moment. "Please wake up. Grandma and grandpa are sad."

I see Seto look up at them and see that he too is understanding what was going on now.

"Where are they?" he asks, obviously ready to let out all of his fury on them right now. But the twins point upwards.

"They're sad about unka Joey. They wanted to make that bad man pay. Grandpa said that he hurt grandpa and unka when he worked as a guard, but you made him pay and go away and he was poor then. Grandpa and grandma want to protect us now, because they think that unka Joey can't. Why won't he wake up unka Seto?"

I see Seto stare up at the white and black dragon with anger in his eyes and hear him say, "It was your fault…all of his pain was. And yet he protected you." I see Seto hold the lifeless body closer to himself and cuddle him a little before removing the wood from his chest in silence. He picks him up and starts to walk away.

"Seto wait!" I say. I promised Joey to try and help him, and there is one more thing I need to tell him. "He promised to be back, no matter how impossible it will look, and he just said that he won't break that promise."

"He's dead!" Seto spits at me in anger. "He can't come back, ever!"

"He will," I say, hoping that it is true more then anything. "But he wants you to know something else. He loves you and will always love you and he has no regrets, especially not that he jumped of that cliff when you saved him. He was sorry about the fight and he really loves you."

"Why didn't you stop him?" Seto asks me and looks at me with nothing but hate. "You could've stop him! You knew this would happen!"

"I didn't," I say, upset, and feel the tears run down my face. "He's my friend and I loved him too, and I would never have let him kill himself. He promised to be back. I didn't think this could happen."

"It's still your fault!" Seto says. "You made us come here! You and Atemu!" he spits the name out like it disgusts him to even think about it. "You two are to blame and I will make you pay!"

I stare at him; this must be what Joey meant when he said that Seto would be furious. He blames me and Atemu, obviously blinded by his grief. I watch him pick up Joey's body and watch him leave, not stopping him. Joey had told me not to try and make him come back to the palace so I let him move away, wondering how I will explain all this to my Atemu.

* * *

><p>Authors note: Thanks to dancing elf for the review.<p>

I decided not to let you wait for the next chapter to get your happy ending. Even I'm not evil enough to let you read about Joey's death and not give you the last chapter with a happy ending right after so I update it right away.


	11. Another chance

**Another chance**

_**Seto's POV**_

I wake up and sit straight in one fluid movement. I look around the room, and I'm glad that it was nothing but a dream. I'm in my mansion in Domino City and the Mutt is probably running around with his friends, healthy and fine. Still I can't shake the feeling of longing to see him. I've had those dreams of him being my husband in this past life, that I still try to deny even now, for a long time now.

Right now it hurts too much to believe it to be true. I have had this feeling like a part of me has been missing since my parents died. Not because I need them; it is more like it awakened some part of me that was hidden, like I knew the feeling of loosing a loved one, one I loved even more all too well, and it hurts ever since.

The pain was never gone completely, not ever eased for long. Only Mokuba's presence could ease it a little, but for a long time I didn't know where the pain came from. Not 'til the night that I dreamed of Joey jumping off a cliff and falling into the Nile. I dreamed of pulling him out and carrying him back to the palace where I lived with my brother and Atemu. Most of the dreams afterwards left me crying when I woke up. Not because the dreams where bad, it was just bad to lose them; to wake up to a reality where everything was different.

I slowly stand up and walk into the bathroom to have a warm and relaxing shower. I like the feeling of the warm water running down my body. I like it even more since I dreamed of Joey being in a huge tub with me, right after he became mine in the world of my dreams. But that's all those are, dreams. They can't be real because Joey wasn't reborn, he wasn't mentioned at any point during our battles. I wonder why I feel this longing for the third-rate duelist anyway. Sure he is good looking, his smile is warm and affectionate, and he is wild and feisty just like he is in my dreams but he isn't exactly the same, just like I'm not exactly the same. But sometimes I think he's all new and improved, even better than he was back then.

I get out of the shower and start to dress. I still feel exhausted, the nice and warm water didn't help today, not after dreaming of Joey's death. I walk though the building and wonder what I should do next. It is Sunday and only the security and a few maids are in the house. Mokuba is living with Serenity by now; they married two years ago. The wedding was the last time I saw Joey. He was happy talking with both of his parents peacefully, which had pleased me more then I would ever admit. He ignored me though, but at least it was the first time that we didn't fight with each other. It was also the first time I saw him since graduation.

I get down to have my breakfast a little earlier then usual due to the bad dream that interrupted my sleep so early. I read the newspaper, or rather try to read it while I eat. I can't really focus and have to think of the dream. The last thing I remember was carrying the lifeless body of my husband out of Alexandria and towards a cave close by where I mummified him and buried him, but it was only a dream and nothing else.

The door bell rings but I ignore it. A maid will open it for sure and a little while later a maid approaches me timidly and says, "Yugi Muto and his husband are here to talk to you."

I give a sigh. Why did Atemu, or Yami like most people call him now, have to return? He's nothing but a nuisance, always was, always will be. And after dreaming of Joey's death I really don't feel like seeing them; I still feel the hate I felt in the dream.

"Send them away," I order the maid.

"Too late for that." I hear the annoying voice of the former Pharaoh. He must have let himself in after the maid told him to wait. I should just kill him right now, but I guess the maid would tell the truth in front of a court and I might get into trouble, at least if the judge doesn't know Atemu, if he does I'll walk free for sure.

I dismiss the maid with a small gesture of my hand, and as soon as she is out I look at Atemu with my worst death glare and ask, "What do you want from me?"

"I have a present for you," he says and I look at Yugi who has red eyes, like he already cried this morning. Part of me fears that the reason for that is that something happened to Joey, but I fight the urge to ask them. I don't want them to know that I would even care about the Mutt. I just watch Atemu while he walks closer and puts a small package in front of me.

I pick it up and unwrap it slowly, trying to look like I couldn't care less until I see what the package contains. In it is an old looking black upper arm bracelet in the shape of a dragon with a ruby as an eye. I stare at the old metal and ask, "Where did you get this?"

"I found the grave about two years after Joey's death. You were dead by then too, and I moved your mummy to Joey's since you had chosen that cave to be his tomb and didn't want to anger your spirit any further; you were mad enough as it was before you died. I left the two bracelets with you. Once I returned to Yugi, with all of my memories, Joey took me aside once and asked me if I knew where the bracelets had gone to and I knew what he was talking about. I told him where it was and he contacted Ishizu to have them sent here. He didn't want to have this one, seeing as it was yours, but he didn't believe that you would want it so he left it with me. Since Yugi had a bad dream tonight I assume that you did too. I thought it was time to give this to you. Joey has been wearing his under his shirt for years now. I don't know why you've always fought in this life, but I saw the love you once had and bet everything I have that it is still the same, and I've waited long enough for you two to figure that out on your own."

"He's been wearing it since you returned?" I ask without thinking about it. Yami has been back for 5 years now. Soon after he left he was back again, unable to be without his little Yugi. He refused to say how he did it and just said that a friend of a friend helped him. I still don't know who that friend might be, but I don't care either. All I care for is that it means that Joey was wearing it on Mokuba's wedding. He remembered everything but still ignored me, just like I ignored him. But why? In the past he said we would see each other again, and now he is wearing the bracelet and still he didn't say a word to me.

"It took about a week to get it. But, yes, ever since he's had it he wears it under his clothing as far as I know," Atemu says and I see Yugi look at me timidly.

"He kept his promise," Yugi says to me. "But what is with you now? He said to me, back in the desert, that you'd be different. So what do you feel for him now? I know that he is just waiting for a sign."

"It's none of your business," I say and glare at Yugi. I still blame them for losing Joey in my last life. "But you better tell me where I can find him."

"I don't know," Yugi says and smiles a little bit, probably hopeful that I'll go and look for Joey. "Maybe he is at his apartment that he rented a few years back, but I don't know for sure."

"Leave," I say to him and glare at them.

"Good luck," Atemu says and smiles at me before putting an arm around his small husband and they leave. I wonder where I should start the search and go to his place just to be told by a neighbor that he has been gone for a week, and that said neighbor is watching his little dog but doesn't know where Joey went to.

I call my sister-in-law, hoping that Serenity knows where her brother is, and find out that he wanted to make a holyday in Egypt and is staying at Ishizu's place. I sort of wonder what he is doing there, but then again both had the necklace at some point and he probably longed to see some places that he remembered from his dreams just like I do.

I drive to my plane and call my secretary to cancel all my appointments for the coming week.

I fly to Egypt and once I land there I rent a car and drive though the busy streets of Kiro and towards Ishizus home, but Joey isn't there. He went out the day before with a tent, insisting that he'd be fine on his own and refusing to say where he went to, but they expected him back by nightfall. I don't want to wait and try to think of a place where he might be.

I travel to the cliff above the Nile, the place I met him in the last life, remembering that it isn't too far away from Kiro; the trip can easily be made in a day if you have a car. Joey used to love that place in his former life but never told anyone but me about it, so I assume that he still wants to keep it a secret and wouldn't tell Ishizu about it. By the time I reach it I see him stand there and look out over the desert with a smile.

I walk up to him from behind, getting a feeling of deja vu. The day before the journey to save Yugi's gramps started, I did the same in that former life. He stood there and sang and it was sunset while it is just past noon now, but it still seems much too familiar. I put my arms around his waist like I did back on that day and feel him move closer to me just like he did on that day. "You know that it's pointless to jump since I'm just going to pull you out again right?" I whisper into his ear like I did so many years ago.

I see him smile one of his warm, happy, and loving smiles, and feel absolutely content for the first time in this life. "In that case I won't mind jumping. I like seeing you all wet," he answers like he once did. We both stand there in silence for a while and I wonder if I should just ask him if we should go back, but I fear that if we continue this way he might find the same end he once did. "I'm sorry that I had to leave you for so long," he adds after a moment, breaking the pattern for the first time and I'm happy he does.

"I'm sorry I didn't believe this all to be true sooner," I say and hold him close. He turns around in my arms and for the first time in thousands of years I can feel his lips seal my own again, and I hold him as tightly as I can. He's still a third-rate duelist, and I still don't understand why I long for him, but I do long for him and I love him for whatever reason that might be. I love him and I feel complete for the first time in so many years.

I feel his hand move over my body and stop where he feels the black dragon under my clothing. I move mine to touch his dragon bracelet that is hidden under his shirt and smile at him. "I missed you Joey. Don't ever do this to me again."

"I promise to try," he says. "But I just couldn't watch you getting hurt. I couldn't have lived without you."

"I doubt that I could," I say and mean every word of it. I know how I felt in those dreams, and I know that it would rip me apart all over again if he left me now just as he did all those years ago. "I can't remember what happened past your death, not yet anyway, and I don't ever want to remember because I know that I couldn't have moved on without you."

"I know," he says, looking sad. "Atemu knows it all since he regained all of his memories when he returned to us, even what happened after the big fight with Bakura. After I died you started to fight him, hating him and Yugi and blaming them for my death. He tried to help you come back to your senses, but you were too furious and one day after he told you that he would help you live on without me you said that you can never truly live without me and will find someone to fight until someone beats you. That was the day he ordered his people to kill you. He was sure that it was the only way to help you, the only way to end your pain."

"Then don't do that to me again," I whisper and wipe away the tears that started to run down his face when he said that Atemu killed me in my former life. I have to remember to thank him for that kindness. I'm sure that I would rather die than life on without Joey, and I assume that it wasn't easy for him since he wanted to help me. But then again, he probably owed me that kindness, considering that he was to blame for my suffering in the first place.

"As long as I don't have to see you die, I'll gladly do what I can," Joey says with a smile and cuddles against my chest. "But I guess I have to thank Anubis a second time for helping Atemu, after all he is my friend and helped me get back my dragon bracelet, and he also helped me get back my dragon."

I just hold Joey for a while longer, happy that I have another chance at a happy life with my Puppy, and intend to make the coming years at least as happy as the years I spent with him before his, much too early, death. And I will do what I can to make sure that time won't repeat itself, apart from the happiness we had with one another of course.

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><p>Authors note: Thanks to dancing elf, Leviathan of the Sea and redconvoy for the reviews and to everyone else who read or faved this story I hope you all enjoyed it. Also a special thanks to Twilight684 for beta reading my story and fixing my spelling mistakes.<p> 


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